MyTenSense.com

I don’t think Teyana Taylor looks anything like Rihanna, but several other bloggers and news sites are stating that Chris Brown has found a replacement who looks like his ex.
Brown, 20, and Taylor, 18, showed up together for the L.A. Lakers’ NBA championship game at Orlando’s Amway Arena on Sunday. Although an unidentified man sat in between them, Brown and Taylor often leaned toward each other to talk during the game in which the Lakers defeated the Magic 99-86 for their 15th NBA title. But Brown and Taylor are just friends.

Taylor, a rapper/singer/dancer from Harlem, popularized the catchy “Chicken Noodle Soup” dance and she choreographed Beyonce’s video for “Ring the Alarm”. She first grabbed the national spotlight as one of the spoiled brats featured on MTV’s “My Super Sweet 16″ in 2007. Taylor’s “Google Me” video gained Internet popularity in 2008.

On Monday, Taylor ranted on Twitter that she has her own style and she’s not trying to “look like someone else. She said she looks nothing like “Umbrella” pop star Rihanna, who has sold more than 12 million albums worldwide and been nominated for nine Grammy Awards.
Taylor tweeted “if one more reporter say that I’m Rihanna, I’m gonna go crazzzzzzzzyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.”
It’s actually a compliment to look like Rihanna, but I agree Taylor doesn’t look like Rihanna.
Judge for yourself.
Rihanna and Taylor actually took pictures together at Chris Brown’s 19th birthday party last year. Rihanna is on the left, and Taylor is on the right.

By Teneshia LaFaye
Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/teneshialafaye
Add me on Myspace: www.myspace.com/tlafaye

As I wrote a couple weeks ago, electrifying singers Chris Brown and Rihanna keep moving in the same direction.
The former couple sat courtside behind the basket near the Lakers’ bench during L.A.’s 99-91 OT victory Thursday night in Game 4 of the NBA Finals at the Orlando Magic’s Amway Arena.
Brown and Rihanna arrived separately before tipoff and did not sit by each other although they both had seats behind the basket on L.A.’s side of the court.


Rapper Lil’ Wayne, reality TV star Kim Kardashian and her boyfriend New Orleans tailback Reggie Bush also sat in the section.
Brown, a Magic fan, has attended several of Orlando’s playoff games. He was spotted at Amway Arena last month with singer Usher, actor Chris Tucker and rapper Bow Wow during the Magic’s Eastern Conference Final home games against Cleveland. Brown, 20, has been in Orlando recording a new album, Graffiti.
Rihanna, 21, also is working on a new album, and she and her ex are also working on separate movie projects.
Rihanna, who has a home in L.A., flew into Orlando just in time for the game. The Barbadian pop star has been spotted in New York during the past few weeks partying with The Black Eyed Peas and suspected new beau Canadian actor/rapper Aubrey “Drake” Griffin. She was photographed leaving New York’s JFK International Airport earlier Thursday, obviously to fly to Orlando to see her Lakers play that night.

Rihanna and Chris will cross paths again later this month when they appear in an L.A. courtroom to resume Brown’s preliminary hearing on two felony charges for allegedly beating, biting and choking Rihanna the night before the Grammy Awards in L.A. in February. If convicted, Brown could be sentenced to probation or nearly five years in prison.
While at former Magic center Shaquille O’Neal’s Orlando home last month, Brown recorded a home video declaring, “I’m not a monster.”

By Teneshia LaFaye
Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/teneshialafaye
Add me on Myspace: www.myspace.com/tlafaye.

The Orlando Magic are making their first NBA Finals appearance since the year before their original Man of Steel Shaquille O’Neal left to win three NBA championships with the Lakers.
Shaq, now with the Phoenix Suns, never sold his house in Orlando, and he has said he wants to own the Magic someday.
But, the Magic’s former No. 1 draft pick also has allegiance to the Lakers, who Orlando visits Thursday to tip off the best-of-seven NBA Finals. Despite his public feud with Kobe Bryant, Shaq said earlier this year that he wants to retire his No. 34 in L.A.’s Staples Center, where he earned three NBA Finals MVP awards during the Lakers’ NBA championship triple-peat from 2000-2002.
So is Shaq pulling for the Magic to win their first NBA title or former ally and nemesis Bryant to win his fourth with the Lakers?
Well, Shaq, who already has four rings for winning another NBA title with Miami in 2006, wrote on his twitter page Wednesday afternoon:
“That’s right. I am saying it today and today only. I want Kobe Bryant to get number 4. Spread da word.”
This was in response to someone asking Shaq if he meant he was pulling for the Lakers when he wrote “I’m a go wit the lake show” on Twitter on Sunday night, a day after the Magic defeated LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavs in Game 6 for Orlando’s first Eastern Conference title since Shaq, Penny, Nick, Dennis and Brian won the title for the city in 1995.
Could Shaq be pulling for L.A. because the Magic’s new Superman and 2004 No. 1 draft pick Dwight Howard has replaced him as Orlando’s biggest star aside from Mickey Mouse?
Or it could be because it would be cheaper for Shaq to buy a Magic team that’s never won an NBA championship than one who has won the big one?
Regardless of the reason, Shaq has put it on the record that he is pulling for the Lakers to beat the Magic.

By Teneshia LaFaye
Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/teneshialafaye
Add me on Myspace: www.myspace.com/tlafaye

The Orlando Magic will open the NBA Finals on Thursday with back-to-back games in Los Angeles to continue their improbable championship run after losing NBA All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson to season-ending right shoulder surgery in February.
Rafer Alston was acquired in a last-minute trade to assume Nelson’s point guard duties, and Orlando’s offense came alive to take down the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics and then Cleveland and NBA MVP LeBron James in the playoffs.
Now, the Magic are in their first NBA Finals since 1995, and it has been a team effort with Alston seamlessly getting the ball to Howard right under the basket, and Howard tossing the ball out to the Magic’s plentiful long-range shooting threats: Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu, Courtney Lee and Mickael Pietrus.
Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy is considering inserting Nelson back into the lineup after a fast recovery from surgery although the point guard isn’t yet back to All-Star form. On Tuesday, Nelson ran with the Magic’s second team in the first full day of team practice and participated in every drill. He hasn’t played a game in four months.
With Nelson at the point, the Magic has the NBA’s best record in January and went 2-0 against the Lakers in the regular season. In the two victories against L.A., Nelson led the way averaging 27.5 points after a third quarter outburst in their first matchup and a 15-point fourth quarter output in the second meeting.
Alston hasn’t been as productive as a scorer, averaging only 12.7 points in the Magic’s’ 18 playoff games. But he’s almost flawlessly run Orlando’s well-oiled offense with only 1.8 turnovers per game.
Obviously, the lineup of Alston, Howard, Turkoglu, Lewis and Lee has worked because the Magic is in its first NBA Finals since 1995.
So why fix what isn’t broken by bringing back Nelson, who isn’t fully recovered and has been out of action for four months?
Van Gundy said he will decide on game day. The Lakers aren’t taking any chances and are preparing for Nelson to be in the Magic’s lineup.
But if Nelson doesn’t return, Alston is more than capable of running the Magic’s explosive show.

By Teneshia LaFaye
Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/teneshialafaye
Add me on Myspace: www.myspace.com/tlafaye

Chris Brown is obviously not worried about his preliminary hearing Thursday for his two felony charges in the alleged assault of his former pop star girlfriend Rihanna.
In the last few days leading up to the hearing, he’s been caught singing, b-balling and youTubing.
Between breaks recording his new album Graffiti in Orlando with a single due out this summer, Brown has been spotted courtside during two of the Magic’s Eastern Conference Final games against Cleveland. He sat with Usher, Chris Tucker and Dwyane Wade to witness Orlando’s 99-89 victory on Sunday, and then Tuesday, he sat with his rapper best friend Bow Wow for the Magic’s 116-114 OT win to take a 3-1 series lead over LeBron James’ Cavs.
Brown also has been videotaped playing 2-on-2 pickup ball with Bow Wow, Tucker and Shaq on the indoor court at the former Magic, Lakers and Heat center’s Orlando home.
And Brown posted a YouTube video announcing his new album, his love for his real fans and he declared, “I’m not a monster.” Bow Wow chimed in “Believe that.”

A judge and jury will decide whether Brown is a “monster.” But Brown’s not worried about it. He will continue to hang loose in Orlando while his lawyer appears in court Thursday and tries to get the case thrown out.

By Teneshia LaFaye
Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/teneshialafaye
Add me on Myspace: www.myspace.com/tlafaye

The Lakers aren’t the only NBA team that attracts celebrities.
Stars came out in droves Sunday for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals featuring the Magic and Cavaliers in Orlando’s Amway Arena.
Tiger Woods showed up on Amway’s Jumbotron early in the game. Then, right after halftime, Grammy Award winning R&B singer Usher walked to his courtside seat across from the Magic’s team bench. A minute and a half later, hip hop heartthrob-turned-bad boy Chris Brown was escorted to a spot two seats away from Usher followed closely behind by Rush Hour funnyman Chris Tucker and Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade and a couple friends to fill in the rest of the instant celebrity row. Utah forward Carlos Boozer was already seated earlier in the game and was a section over from the bunch under the basket near the Magic’s bench. Across the floor, Grammy Award winning rapper Lil’ Wayne sat with a female friend underneath the basket near Cleveland’s bench. The crowd gave loud ovations for Boozer, Lil’ Wayne, Woods and Usher when their faces appeared on Amway’s Jumbotron. Beyonce and Jay-Z, my favorite and my teen son’s favorite artists respectively, were rumored to be in the arena, but we didn’t spot them.
Usher, who also sat courtside two days earlier to witness LeBron James’ buzzer-beating game winner in Cleveland, switched seats with one of two guys in between him and Chris, and the throwback Michael Jackson singers chatted shoulder-to-shoulder through most of the third quarter and almost the entire fourth quarter. Since Usher is part owner of the Cavs, I wonder if he got the tickets for Brown, Tucker and Wade? And what were Usher and Chris talking about? Maybe Usher was apologizing for saying the younger singer needed to show more remorse instead of being photographed jet-skiing in Miami Beach in February shortly after being arrested for assaulting his pop star ex-girlfriend Rihanna and a photo leak of her battered face. And why was Usher wearing dark black sunglasses after 10 p.m. on a rainy night?
Usher left in the final 36 seconds with his Cavs down by eight and Cleveland starters Anderson Varejao and Zydrunas Ilgauskas fouled out of the game. Then, Chris Tucker slid over to talk to Brown, and when the final buzzer sounded, they shook hands and walked across the court with Boozer and Wade to exit through the VIP Entrance.
The Magic-Cavs game was Brown’s first public appearance since the jet-skiing photos. He privately celebrated his 20th birthday earlier this month and has been in seclusion for the last three months with the exception of courtroom appearances for the felony charges involving his then-girlfriend Rihanna. Brown’s preliminary hearing is in three days, but he is not expected to appear in court, and his attorney is trying to get the case tossed because of the leaked LAPD photos of Rihanna. But of course, Brown managed to appear on the Magic’s court Sunday in a black hoodie and blue jeans to see Orlando take a 2-1 series lead over Cleveland in the Magic’s first East Finals in 13 years.

By Teneshia LaFaye
Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/teneshialafaye
Add me on Myspace: www.myspace.com/tlafaye

Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy blamed himself and center Dwight Howard laid his head in his hand as they fielded the press’ questions about a 1-point loss to Cleveland after LeBron James’ buzzer-beating 3-pointer to tie the Eastern Conference Finals series at 1-1.
Sure, Van Gundy could have had a defender contest the Mo Williams inbound pass that led to James’ last second shot and he could have put two men on LeBron.
But the Magic shouldn’t be second-guessing themselves. After all, the Cavs were the ones in need of a little magic after giving up double-digit leads at home in Games 1 and 2, and it took the “biggest shot” of James’ career to keep Orlando from returning home with a 2-0 series lead.
Charles Barkley was one of the few NBA analysts who picked Orlando to win the Eastern Conference, and now he looks like a genius.
And I must admit I was like everyone else, hoping for an NBA Finals featuring No. 23 (James) vs. No. 24 (Lakers guard Kobe Bryant).
The ball is now literally in the Magic’s court with Games 3, 4 and 6 in Orlando’s Amway Arena, where Orlando is 2-0 against Cleveland this season, including a 29-point regular season victory, the Cavs’ worst of the season, early last month. Plus, the Magic is battle-tested after outlasting Philadelphia and Boston in six- and seven-game series, respectively, unlike the Cavs who cruised to eight consecutive double-digit victories to sweep their first two playoff opponents.
If the Magic actually puts together a complete-game effort instead of these second half comebacks, we may see Howard’s No. 12 vs. No. 16 (Lakers center Pau Gasol) or No. 31 (Nuggets center Nene) competing for the NBA championship.

By Teneshia LaFaye
Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/teneshialafaye
Add me on Myspace: www.myspace.com/tlafaye