Kevin Garnett has unlocked the mysteries of time travel, part two

Gary Payton and Vince Carter have traveled backwards through the ages in a time machine invented by NBA All-Star power forward Kevin Garnett. The time machine has landed outside a large castle in an unknown time and place. At first, the castle looks empty and deserted-- even the front door is closed. (See photo below)

However, soon Gary Payton and Vince Carter notice that a strange man is looking down at their time machine from the top of the castle. (See photo below) "Who can this fellow be?" they are wondering.

Gary Payton and Vince Carter decide to come out from the safety of their time machine to try to talk to the man in the castle. (See photo below)

The man in the castle turns out to be none other than William Shakespeare, author of such world-famous plays as King Lear and All's Well That Ends Well. He is very polite but also curious about who these two strange travelers might be.

Gary Payton and Vince Carter introduce themselves and tell William Shakespeare a little bit about who they are and where they have come from. Then they start to explain about the modern game of basketball and their desire to go back in time to become the first inventors of their favorite sport. At this point, William Shakespeare stops their explanation and invites them to come inside his castle so he can show them something. (See photo below) Gary Payton and Vince Carter are slightly concerned about following a stranger (even a famous one like William Shakespeare) into his house, but they decide that since they have come all this way, they might as well give it a try.

Inside of William Shakespeare's castle, Gary Payton and Vince Carter are in for the surprise of their life. William Shakespeare already knows all about basketball and even the NBA. He shows the two NBA stars his very own basketball. (It is the same brand as the one Allen Iverson has.) (See photo below)

In addition, William Shakespeare shows the two time-travelers a large poster of his favorite player, Predrag Stojakovic. (See photo below)

Before William Shakespeare can show Gary Payton and Vince Carter anything more, however, an urgent message comes in from Kevin Garnett back at the control center. (See photo below) Kevin Garnett's sensors indicate that there will soon be large disturbances throughout the space-time continuum. Gary Payton and Vince Carter need to return to the present right away or they run the risk of becoming lost forever somewhere in time and space.

With hardly any time for a goodbye, Gary Payton and Vince Carter rush back to the time machine. (See photo below) They are sad to leave so quickly, but, in a mission like this, safety is the most important aspect.

Below: The time machine hurtles back through the ages towards pre-season 2009-2010.

Below: William Shakespeare waves farewell to the two time-travelers. He is happy that they have left behind an unopened can of his second favorite drink-- Seven-Up, the Uncola.

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.

Allen Iverson makes a television commercial

In addition to playing professional basketball, Allen Iverson also sometimes stars in television commercials. This summer, he has signed a contract to make commercials for Seven Up, aka the Uncola. Today is the first day of shooting. Here are some exclusive photos:

Above: Allen Iverson checks himself out in the mirror before the start of shooting.

Below: A lot goes on behind the scenes when they are making a television commercial.

Below: It can get very hot under the studio lights.

Below: Allen Iverson's friends Karl Malone and Steve Francis have come along to watch. There is plenty of Seven Up for everyone to drink.

Above: Allen Iverson battles a dragon for the can of Seven Up. This scene took many takes to get it right.

Below: Now that Allen Iverson has conquered the dragon, he climbs on its back and rides away -- all while carrying a battle flag and a can of crisp, refreshing Seven Up.