A photo tweeted by Chicago's All-Star forward Luol Deng should once and for all answer anyone's questions about whether he is actually too sick to play.

When Luol Deng missed the final two games of the Bulls' first-round series with the Brooklyn Nets, many questioned his toughness and whether he should actually be playing. As it turns out, Deng had to get a spinal tap to test for viral meningitis. He responded to all his doubters with a series of tweets on Friday explaining his situation.

Deng couldn't be with his teammates to start their second-round series in Miami, and if you're wondering where he watched the game, he was in the hospital. The 28-year-old Deng posted a photo on Instagram of himself in a hospital bed, presumably watching the game:

"So proud of my team man," Deng wrote, "this bed might be good luck after all."

With the Bulls scoring two big wins as Deng watched from the hospital (over the Heat in Game 1 and the Nets in Game 7), Chicago would most likely be willing to risk superstition to have him back on the court.

Kobe Bryant won't be on the court for the remainder of the season, but rest assured, Lakers fans, the superstar guard will never be far away.

After undergoing surgery on his torn Achilles tendon over the weekend, Bryant's long-term future is in question. While most believe he'll return to the court, it's unclear whether he'll ever be at full strength again. There's even been talk of why the Lakers might be wise to amnesty Bryant.

In the short term -- the next two weeks, to be specific -- Bryant will be forced to rest his leg. That means little, if any, movement.

After willing his team into the playoff hunt during the past few weeks, one can imagine how hard it will be for Bryant to watch the Lakers on TV as his achilles heals. But the uber-competitive 34-year-old will have some connection to his teammates.

Talk about dedication. Most injured players watch from the sidelines or from the locker room, but not many are actually coaching the team while they heal. This speaks to Bryant's incredible loyalty to his team and his incessant desire to help in any way possible.

It hasn't been the easiest year for Bryant -- he's had to adjust to new teammates, a new coach and the rare struggle to get into the playoffs -- but Lakers fans have to be encouraged by his strong will in the face of what appears to be a career-altering injury.

If you live in or around Tampa, now's the time to dig out your Rays gear.

Tampa Bay ace David Price announced on Wednesday that he'll be giving away 100 tickets to the Rays' opener against the Orioles on April 2.

Price hasn't made clear exactly where or how he'll be handing out the tickets, but he's given out several clues.

Price is far from the first athlete to give away tickets on Twitter, but few players actually hand the tickets out in person. Sometimes they'll run a contest on Twitter or give the tickets away to a lucky follower.

So what Price is doing isn't just a cool way to engage followers on Twitter, it also allows him to get to know his fans in the Tampa area.

(H/T to Larry Brown Sports)

Bill Belichick took his first foray into the world of Twitter, and contrary to what some might think, it was quite informative.

The New England Patriots coach is known for his non-answers and his unwillingness to open up to the media. And so it was safe to assume that Belichick had little interest in the ultimate sharing platform, Twitter.

But the 60-year-old Belichick jumped into the social media world head first Tuesday, and his Q&A provided some insight into the world of one of the most innovative coaches in sports.

Belichick answered questions through his girlfriend's Twitter account. He dealt with everything from his favorite candy (Junior Mints) to his favorite Bon Jovi song ("Bounce").

A noted workaholic, Belichick called the NFL Draft "fun" and said the biggest priority for the Patriots this offseason will be "better coaching." But he also mentioned that there's more to the offseason than planning for next year.

OK, so nothing groundbreaking here, but it's definitely a cool way for a coach to engage with the Twitter universe. And enjoy it while you can, Patriots fans, because this might be Belichick's last Twitter appearance for quite some time.