In one of those stories that has to be seen for about twenty minutes to be believed, Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko got a new tattoo: his World of Warcraft character riding a dragon, covering his ENTIRE BACK. The tattoo artist confirmed both Kirilenko and the terrifying thing they created via Twitter.

Feel free to take a closer look by clicking the image. It’s on the computer, so it should be safe.

I don’t know what level you have to be to go out in public with that on your back, so here’s to hoping next year’s NBA season isn’t just a bunch of grinding.

[H/T SLC Dunk]

Jerry Sloan resigned his position as head coach of the Utah Jazz after 23 seasons and 1,221 wins, Thursday. The resignation comes amidst rumors that Sloan’s relationship with star point guard, Deron Williams, was in shambles. And while it’s upsetting to see such a loving relationship end so close to Valentine’s Day, I can see why Deron was growing impatient with his coach. Have you seen Sloan’s thighs lately? They look like curdled cottage cheese.

“I had a feeling this time was the time to move on,” an emotional Sloan said during a Thursday afternoon news conference. “[That's] a long time to be in one organization. Again, I’ve been blessed. Today is a new day. When I get this over with, I’ll feel better. My time is up and it’s time to move on.”

Two sources close to the situation told ESPN.com’s Marc Stein that Sloan reacted angrily during the home loss when guard Deron Williams called a play on the floor that was different from the one Sloan called from the sideline.

But one source stressed that the play-calling flap was just one incident among a number of flare-ups in recent weeks, indicating Sloan’s relationship with Williams has been deteriorating. –ESPN.com

Sloan, who became the Jazz’s head coach before the Berlin Wall came down, was the NBA’s longest tenured coach before his resignation. With 1,221 wins, Sloan will retire as the third winningest coach in NBA history, trailing Don Nelson and Lenny Wilkens. Between them, the three coaches have 3,888 wins and one NBA Title, which goes to show just how important the NBA regular season really is.

Dallas Mavericks big man Dirk Nowitzki is a rampaging beast! No, really, look at that ugly dude. He looks like a sasquatch after a body wax and Atkins. But the Abominable Dirkman found his groove in the fourth quarter against the Jazz, dropping 29 in the last period to pull off a 96-85 win against the mighty Mormans.

Nowitzki broke the franchise record of 24 points in any quarter set by Mark Aguirre against Denver on March 24, 1984.

“It was an ugly game,” Nowitzki said. “We couldn’t get anything going for three quarters. We were slow. We were looking for a spark offensively and I was able to do that tonight.”

Yes, Dirk, it was an ugly game. That’s your kind of game. Though you may not have the natural looks to lure a woman into a Colorado hotel room, your presence in the paint last night was a penetrating force all its own. You made it look so easy that a caveman could do it.

Other NBA news: Boston is still undefeated and Allen Iverson is pissed about playing time. Also, water is wet and the sky is blue.