Good morning. Russell Westbrook remains at the center of it all.

Good morning. Let’s basketball.

KAREEM ON MLK DAY: A beautiful, strong essay from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on what the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. ought to mean for the day we celebrate.

WHY NOT THE HAWKS? Paul Flannery’s brilliant lead essay in the Sunday Shootaround deeps into Atlanta and asks that very question. Lots of good quotes from Mike Budenholzer, Kyle Korver and more. Check it out.

YIKES: Andre Roberson missed a free throw very, very badly. Because of that the Thunder only beat the Magic by 28 instead of 29.

ON LARRY SANDERS: He was suspended 10 games for another positive marijuana test. Woj reports that after this latest punishment, Sanders is ready to give up the ganja and rededicate himself to the game.

COLD-BLOODED: Stephen Curry can do it all.

THE DUNK CONTEST IS ALREADY OVER: Russell Westbrook! Speaking of Russ ...

GOOD EXECUTION: He went Marshawn Lynch on Friday in multiple ways: he had a beastly performance (15-17-15) and then shut down the scrum afterward, claiming to dislike two reporters.

BRILLIANT: The Cavs are fixed because David Blatt took the team bowling instead of to practice.

GET YOUR MILES PLUMLEE! The Suns are reportedly asking for a first for The older Plumlee, reports Marc Stein.

DIRK! Dirk Nowitzki is responsible for the two greatest off-court moments of the season now: the “Too Much Monta” drop in that Run DMC parody and this, knocking the mic out of the reporter’s hand during a Chandler Parsons interview. The nonchalance of Dirk plus Chandler’s reaction -- just wonderful.

IS DRAYMOND GREEN A MAX PLAYER? Ethan Sherwood Strauss digs in.

HMM: Kobe tells Bill Plaschke that retirement “has crossed his mind.”

YIKES: Joel Embiid may be having some issues with weight and attitude in Philadelphia.

AWESOME: Tobias Harris talks about how his grandfather, a Tuskegee airman, inspires him. (Autoplay video warning.)

LET’S GO TO SPIKE LEE: Spike, why didn’t you go to London to see the Knicks take on the Bucks? “We’ve lost 16 motherf--king games in a row. Twenty-six out of 27. And I’m gonna get on a plane for that? I can take a cab to see them lose.”

BROOKLYN DOWN: John Schuhmann on why the Nets are looking to unload Brook Lopez.

HOPE FOR THE BEGUILED: Jahlil Okafor is going to be really, really good.

SO ... What’s up with the Clippers? Doesn’t it seem like something is just ... missing?

A FINE IDEA: Richard Deitsch suggests Kobe as a Chuck replacement on Inside the NBA. I’d rather see Kobe buy a team, to be honest.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” -- Dr. King.

See you next time.