The Media Blitz

D-Wade wins something this year, Kevin Love's reporting skills, and Kobe's MySpace

by Sam Alipour

Dwyane Wade looks like he needs a hug, having to watch his pals LeBron James and Dwight Howard duke it out in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on his mobile device (guess which one), his Miami Heat having been eliminated in the first round by the Hawks.

Don't pity the dude, though. Wade is rich and famous, and he's currently seated at the center table in a room filled with equally rich-famous people at a Sony Pictures sound stage, site of Spike TV's Guys Choice Awards (airs June 21).

Furthermore, Wade's table is rimmed with several crazy hot, mostly blonde seat-fillers who are paid to laugh at your jokes.

No, Wade doesn't need your hug, not even after his latest thumb-click revealed that the Magic were NBA Finals bound. Just two minutes later, he's on the stage to accept a Mantler -- an award that looks like antlers, but stupider -- after besting Drew Brees for Top Fantasy Leaguer honors.

"Anytime you win an award, you're always thankful, but this is a different one," Wade tells me afterwards. "It's going to look a little different next to my MVP trophy. Kind of funky. But I'll take it."

Wade's willingness to travel to LA for the ceremony shouldn't come as a surprise. Two years ago, he told me he was looking to get into acting, going as far as to sign with powerhouse William Morris Agency, now William Morris Endeavor, to make it happen.

Now he says he's "dialing that down to focus on my career." Watching the Eastern Conference Finals on your cell phone will do that to a fella.

"Right now, I'm just enjoying my summer," Wade continues, adding that he's not yet ready to think about that will-he-or-won't-he contract extension. "When July comes, we'll talk about it (with Heat management). But you know, 2010 is a big summer for me, and for a lot of guys. I don't know what I'll do yet, but I'm looking for maximum flexibility for me and making sure my team can compete for a championship every year."

Other highlights from the show: Borat's Sasha Baron Cohen and The Wrestler's Mickey Rourke winning Funniest M.F. and Man of the Year, respectively; Halle Berry receiving the Decade of Hotness award from Jamie Foxx, who was as "distracted" as Wade (he was nearing the exit doors when he spotted actress Malin Akerman and literally, and not-so-subtly, did a u-turn, following her back into the show); Mel Gibson taking the stage on horseback, reminding the attendees that "they can take away our lives, but they can't take away our balls!" which sparked Comedy Mafia Godfather Judd Apatow -- who accepted the Man Kind Award, and is Jewish -- to say he's "very uncomfortable…with the whole Mel Gibson appearance"; and, for Blitz, the presence of highly attractive people like Mila Kunis, The Ikkie Twins, Sexiest Athlete winner Biba Golic and, um, Brad Pitt. The latter joined Edward Norton and director David Fincher for the Guy Movie Hall of Fame induction of their flick Fight Club. Pitt called it "the greatest f-- moment in my entire life!" What would Tyler Derden say? Offered Norton: "He might say, 'Thank you for giving an award to our movie, which is about how meaningless awards like this actually are.'"

Other sports related award winners: Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes for Play of the Year; Brock Lesnar over Manny Pacquiao for Most Dangerous Man; and LeBron James over Roethlisberger for Most Unstoppable Jock. Ben Roethlisberger as Unstoppable Jock runner-up? A head-scratcher -- sorta like that other award.

Said Apatow when I asked him for his pick for Top Fantasy Leaguer: "Isn't it LeBron James? Isn't that the answer to every sports question these days?"

Mr. Wade might need that hug after all.

BLITZ MUSIC EXCLUSIVE: A JONATHAN STEWART TRACK

As reported in the latest issue of The Mag, Carolina Panthers RB/music man Jonathan Stewart is copyrighting his instrumental sounds in hopes of landing them on soundtracks and commercials. He says his musical inspirations include producers Kanye West and Timbaland ("they're on the edge"), "Lean on Me" (the title song from the Morgan Freeman classic) and the Power Rangers theme (every time "the Power Rangers song came on, I knew it was game time"). Confused? Let this clear it up for you: for now, here's "Make it Official," courtesy of Mr. Stewart. Chime in with your thoughts in the comments section below. And check back with Blitz for more from J-Stew (we suggested this as his handle, and he didn't like it) in the weeks to come.

MELO'S CONSOLATION PRIZE? AN EDDIE MURPHY FLICK!

Look for the Western Conference runners-up in Paramount's Imagine That (June 12), with Eddie Murphy starring as a financial planner who consults with his daughter's imaginary world -- and interrupts a Nuggets practice to enlist Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson in a venture. Chauncey Billups, who replaced AI as Denver's lead guard after production wrapped, isn't sweating the missed opportunity.

"I'm not much of an actor, man, but I definitely want to see it," he says, adding that he prefers Old School Eddie to Grade School Eddie. "If I could be in any Eddie Murphy movie, it'd be Boomerang -- that was hilarious. I'd probably have to play Eddie's conservative, married friend. I don't have game like he did in that." Billups isn't the only one getting the shaft: George Karl was cut from the scene. ("I was supposed to get angry at them for missing practice," he told me. "I was a lot better at getting angry 10 years ago.")

MEET KEVIN LOVE, REPORTER -- WITH BRACES!

T-wolves big man Kevin Love, who dabbled with a communication major at UCLA, is moonlighting as a reporter for NBA.com, offering reports from the playoffs. What has he learned so far? "You need to be engaging and smile," he tells Blitz before backtracking -- and flashing his new corrective dental bling. "I'm trying not to smile, though, because of these braces. They're not really camera friendly, but they will be in a few years." Until then, check out K-Love's skills -- but not his braces -- in this video (it's in the middle of the page, along with Love's other clips) with K-Love "drilling" Kenyon Martin and JR Smith, or at least trying to stay focused.

KOBE WANTS TO BE FRIENDS

Kobe Bryant is joining the likes of David Beckham and Terrell Owens on MySpace, with his official profile launching this morning (www.myspace.com/kobebryant). In a shocker, his latest mood update as of press time: "Focused."

Sam Alipour is based in Los Angeles. His Media Blitz column appears in ESPN The Magazine and regularly on Page 2. You can reach him at sam.alipour@gmail.com.

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