Mad Dash: NBA player wears mittens on the bench

It's been a cold winter throughout much of North America, but NBA games are played within the warm confines of modern arenas. So why was Patrick Patterson wearing what appeared to be mittens or gloves on the Raptors' bench during a 114-103 win over the 76ers in Philadelphia? Were the gloves even the kind that would keep hands warm in the first place, or do they serve some other purpose entirely? Whatever the reason, it was incredibly strange to see an NBA player sporting anything on his hands during a game. Fortunately for us, former player and current analyst Malik Rose pointed out on the game broadcast that similar gloves often have paraffin wax on the inside to keep hands warm and dry for ball handling and shooting control. The Flyers' ice rink lurking beneath the floor may have contributed to the cold on the Toronto bench, as well. The more you know.

LeBron James is good to his friends. The NBA superstar recently had a collection of 600 custom watches made, and the first person to tweet about getting one from King James was Ronaldinho. The Brazilian soccer star sported his new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore LeBron James on Twitter, and thanked James for the gift, valued at around $60,000. We need to get on LeBron's gift list.

What's left for Mark Cuban to accomplish in his life? He's made a fortune, won an NBA title and probably holds some sort of all-time record for fines from the NBA league office. He's never played the leader of the free world, though. That's about to change. Cuban has agreed to play the president in Sharknado 3, the made-for-TV franchise that has built an odd cult following. Maybe Cuban just enjoys being a part of projects that start with "shark."

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The Yahoo Sports Mad Dash is a roundup of the morning's trending stories from across the sports landscape. Check it out every day to see what's buzzing.