Back-to-school pep rally at Warren G. Harding High School

The principal of Warren G. Harding High School has decided that it would be a good idea to have a back-to-school pep rally to get his students excited about the first day of school. For the pep rally, he has decided to invite some NBA stars to come and talk to the students about the importance of trying hard in school so they can go to college. The following players have been invited to speak to the students: Vince Carter (University of North Carolina), Gary Payton (Oregon State University), and Shaq (Louisiana State University and University of Phoenix). (See photos above and below-- the principal is the one wearing the brown jacket and gray pants)

All three NBA players are very happy to share their thoughts and experiences about school. Both Vince Carter and Shaq are proud of the fact that they went back to college after starting their NBA careers to finish their degrees. Shaq is doubly proud because, after finishing at Louisiana State, he enrolled in an online program through University of Phoenix and earned an MBA.

Below: The students listen to the NBA stars talk about the importance of education and life-long learning.

Above: Gary Payton talks to the chairman of Harding High School's science department about how to find and capture UFOs.

Below: One of the students has become so excited that she has fainted. Luckily, Vince Carter and the camera operator are there to make sure she is all right.

Note: Special thanks to Jeff from Hoops Manifesto for helping out on this one.

The long wait is over (for some people)

The long-awaited package from the Lego factory has finally arrived, and many of the people and NBA players in Lego Land are quite happy. Predrag Stojakovic was able to get rid of the white firefighter's helmet that he was forced to wear-- now he has a black captain's hat that he wears backwards. (See photo above)

The first person that Predrag Stojakovic shows is Kevin Garnett. Kevin Garnett tells him that he looks cool. (Photo below)

Below: Eva Longoria Parker (on the left) did not get anything new, but her friends did -- new heads and hair.

Below: Jalen Rose and Steve Francis are excited to try on the new flippers.

Not everyone is feeling quite so excited, however. Allen Iverson still has not heard anything about a contract for next year, and he is starting to get a little worried. Instead of relaxing and enjoying his off-season, Allen Iverson has been spending a lot of time on the computer checking to see if there are any new developments. (See photos above and below) So far, there has not been much to report.

Everyone is excited about what is coming in the mail

For several days all the regular people and NBA players in Lego Land have been very excited about an interesting news item-- a shipment of pieces straight from the Lego factory will be arriving soon. There are many rumors spreading throughout Lego Land about what may be coming in the shipment -- new heads, hair, hats, helmets, legs, life jackets, flippers, beards, and/or weapons. Everyone has an opinion about what will and should be coming.

Above: Kevin Garnett discusses the rumors with his neighbors, one of whom happens to be a reporter (the man with the top hat and hook).

Below: Predrag Stojakovic waits by his mailbox. He would like a new hat or helmet to replace the firefighter's helmet that he is forced to wear.

Below: Predrag Stojakovic hopes that the mail comes soon.

One more photo of Antoine Walker hanging out at Steve Francis' repair shop

All week long, Antoine Walker has been helping Steve Francis at the repair shop. Steve Francis is very happy about this, because he has been very busy. So far this week, the two NBA stars have fixed two cars and one truck, replaced the chain on a 10-speed bicycle, and repaired one broken vacuum cleaner. It has been a good week for business, but both players are looking forward to a relaxing weekend, and they hope that all the readers of the Overflow blog have one as well.

Steve Francis has a repair shop

In addition to being an NBA basketball player, Steve Francis owns and operates a repair shop. He fixes cars, trucks, bicycles, and small appliances. Sometimes Antoine Walker likes to hang around the shop and help out with the work. Today, the alien guy has brought his UFO in because it is having trouble starting in the morning (especially when the weather is cold).

Above: Steve Francis and Antoine Walker discuss the problem with the alien guy.

Below: The UFO.

Steve Francis and Antoine Walker have different ideas about what might be wrong with the UFO. Steve Francis thinks that starter motor is bad and will need to be replaced. Antoine Walker believes that it is just the starter solenoid that is faulty and not the entire starter. The only way to find out is to open the UFO up, so they both get to work.

Above and below: Steve Francis and Antoine Walker try to diagnose the problem.

Above and below: More pictures of the two NBA players working on the UFO.

Below: Steve Francis uses his jack hammer.

While Steve Francis and Antoine Walker are busy fixing the UFO, they do not notice that they are being spied on. (See photo below) Gary Payton and Vince Carter are trying hard to get a glimpse of the UFO and the alien guy. They have been tracking the movements of the UFO for several days, but they have not told anybody about what they have seen because of a promise they made to Dirk Nowitzki.

Below: Gary Payton uses the binoculars to try to get a closer look.

The UFO is now all fixed and Steve Francis, Antoine Walker, the alien guy, and the pig are standing around the repair shop enjoying ice-cold sodas. In the end, Steve Francis is correct -- the entire starter has to be replaced, not just the solenoid. This is bad news for the alien guy, because that costs more money, but Steve Francis does his best to give him a break on the price.

A little three-on-three

Tonight, some of the NBA players got to together to play a little three-on-three basketball. The teams were Gary Payton, Vince Carter, and Shaq versus Kevin Garnett, Jalen Rose, and Antoine Walker. Here are a few photographs of the game.

Below: Gary Payton drives right by Jalen Rose.

Below: Seeing Gary Payton go by Jalen Rose, Antoine Walker does the right thing and slides over to help out. Antoine Walker knows how important it is to keep his opponents from getting too many easy baskets.

Below: Later on, Antoine Walker shows off his dunking skills.

Below: Jalen Rose can dunk the basketball as well.

Below: Kevin Garnett and Antoine Walker both know how important it is to keep your hands up on defense.

Below: All the while, Allen Iverson is watching patiently from the sidelines. Allen Iverson hopes that he will get a turn soon.

A trip to the Department of Motor Vehicles

Last week Allen Iverson received a notice in the mail telling him that it was time for him to renew the tabs on his license plates. So today he is taking a trip down to the Department of Motor Vehicles. Little does Allen Iverson know, everybody else in town has the exact same idea.

The lines are long, and they do not move very quickly. The workers at the Department of Motor Vehicles make sure to check the paperwork thoroughly so that there will not be any mistakes.

Shaq is enjoying his conversation with the man in the blue crash helmet. They are talking about the upcoming NBA season. Meanwhile, Karl Malone is helping Predrag Stojakovic decide which forms he will need to get his driver's license.

Many people have cars and like to drive, so the Department of Motor Vehicles is often quite crowded.

Gary Payton and Vince Carter have new part-time jobs

Gary Payton and Vince Carter have new part-time jobs -- they were recently hired to be the crossing guards at a busy intersection. Their job is to make sure that people who are trying to cross the street between the airport and the outdoor basketball court can get there without being run over.

When people come to the crosswalk, Gary Payton and Vince Carter are in charge of making the cars and truck stop before the people try to cross. (See photos above and below) They only have one handheld STOP sign, so they take turns using it. This time, it is Gary Payton's turn.

Below: Kevin Garnett waits patiently in the driver's seat. Steve Francis and Antoine Walker are riding in the back in the trailer.

Below: Now that the cars have stopped and it is safe to cross, the people are allowed to cross the street.

Below: Traffic has started moving again. There goes Allen Iverson with his basketball on his way to shoot some hoops. Vince Carter is waving to everyone as they drive by.

Tony Parker and Eva Longoria Parker have decided to take flying lessons

Tony Parker and his wife, Eva Longoria Parker, have decided to take flying lessons. Their flight instructor is the man who directed the television commercial that Allen Iverson recently appeared in. (See photo below--the flight instructor is giving them instructions using his megaphone.)

When Tony Parker and Eva Longoria Parker arrive at the local airport, they are happy to see that their friends Shaq and Jalen Rose are working there as air traffic controllers. Shaq has always been interested in law enforcement and in giving back to the community. Working to help planes safely take off and land is one way of doing that. (See photo below-- Shaq is in the air traffic control tower. He is wearing his yellow Lakers jersey and looking out the window.)

Jalen Rose (pictured below) has not been working as an air traffic controller very long, but, with Shaq's help, he is learning fast.

Below: Tony Parker and Eva Longoria Parker are ready to taxi down the runway.

Below: Tony Parker and Eva Longoria Parker are speeding down the runway.

Below: Tony Parker and Eva Longoria Parker are flying up in the sky.

Below: Tony Parker and Eva Longoria Parker are now safely back on the ground.