Let's all play a quick game; imagine you're six minutes away from reaching your dream. It's taken unimaginable drive and desire and 27 years of work to get this far, and now it is in your grasp. It's what you've wanted most in life and now you’re so close you can taste, touch, hear, and smell it. One more thing; you have to imagine in German.
Five minutes to go; the dream starts to move a little further away, but you’re not worried because it's still right next to you and you've got the arms of a 7 foot tall German. Four minutes to go; you reach out to grab the dream but it jumps back suddenly. Now you’re confused and a little annoyed, but still sure the dream will be yours soon. Three minutes to go; the dream has turned its back and starts sprinting away. You chase after it, and for the first time start to wonder if you might not catch it. Two minutes to go; the dream is fading into the distance and now you are sprinting madly trying to catch it. You run as fast as you can but your arms are heavy, your legs are tired and the dream is still going strong. One minute to go; you’re panicking! Time stops and you get one last chance, one final try to lunge for your dream. You throw yourself at it and reach as far as you can-- Your hand closes-- and your finger tips touch nothing but air. The dream is gone.
Back to English. In Game 3 of the 2006 NBA finals, Dirk Nowitzki led the Dallas Mavericks to a double-digit lead over the Miami Heat with six minutes to go. Six minutes was all it took for the Heat to storm back and win, and in the tragedy of tragedies, Dirk missed a free throw with seconds left to tie the game. For the rest of the series the Mavs put up as much resistance as Paris Hilton on prom night, and three games later the Heat were crowned NBA champions. Being the team’s best player, Nowitzki took all the blame. Despite averaging 27 points and almost 12 rebounds a game, Dirk was labeled ‘soft’; somebody who didn't have what it takes to win a championship. The following season Dirk and the Mavericks claimed the best record in the NBA and Dirk was named the MVP, but a few days later, Dallas was destroyed by Golden State in the opening round of the playoffs. The word ‘soft’ was all but carved into Dirks Epitaph.
Nobody is exactly sure what ‘soft’ means in the NBA; does it mean you don't fight? Because other than Ron Artest, nobody fights nowadays. Does it mean you can't make clutch shots? Because Dirk has made as many clutch shots as anybody in the last five years. The one aspect of the ‘soft’ label that always holds true is that it’s impossible to get rid of. For the last five years, the Mavs have won over fifty games a season with Dirk as their unquestioned leader. They are consistently one of the best teams in the league, and Dirk is consistently one of the best clutch players in the league, and yet the ‘soft’ label remains.
This year though, Dirk gets a Ron Burgundy type shot at redemption. The Mavs are in the NBA finals and through-out the playoffs they have done everything people said they couldn't. People said they couldn't beat Portland; and in round one, after blowing a huge lead in game four, we were sure it would be the same old story and the Mavs would disappoint. In round two people were sure they couldn't beat LA. Dirk led his team to four straight wins and an absolute thrashing (truly one of the worst we’ve seen) of the Lakers. And in round three, Dirk took down the two-time NBA scoring champ and one of the hottest young teams in the league in the Oklahoma City Thunder. Now the Mavs have moved on into the NBA finals. Dirk has teamed up with other guys who couldn't quite get it done; Peja from the Kings, Kidd from the Nets, and Marion from the Suns, and this band of misfit toys will have their shot at a title. This time they will try to spell redemption M-A-V-S not S-O-F-T.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
To College Or To NBA
The differences between college basketball and the professional game are undeniable. In the NBA, athletes are bigger, faster, stronger, and even the white guys can dunk. In college, players are smaller, slower, and most of the white guys major in business for a reason. There are thirty teams in the NBA, and most teams have twelve players in their rotation. Those 360 players are the 360 best basketball players in the world. In college there are teams with 6 foot 1 guys from River Falls, Wisconsin who made the team because they show up to practice on time and provide a boost to the teams average GPA. No NBA team owner is going to pay somebody millions of dollars a year because he gets A's in Biology class. Some people think this makes the NBA better than college basketball. For some basketball fans, the fact that guys in the NBA play so much better makes it a better game to watch. For me, it just makes it different.
Random Average College Basketball Guy has one advantage over every star in the NBA -- he knows his days are numbered. He knows he's got four years, and after that he will never play another meaningful game of basketball again. He knows he can literally count the minutes he has left until his dream is over and the hourglass runs out. So every minute of playing time he gets, he plays as hard as he can. He works himself to the point of exhaustion every time his feet touch the floor, because soon, there will be no more work to do (that doesn't involve a time-card). He plays his ass off because if he tries hard enough, the dream may stay alive. That drive, that passion, that effort, and the emotion that comes from it, is what makes college basketball so good. When college players show emotion it connects them to fans, and we are reminded that they are real people. They are college kids eating Spaghettios and frozen pizza who care just as much about the game as we do. And as fans, that's something we care about, that's something that matters.
College basketball isn't good because guys make every shot, it's good because players miss a lot of shots too. It's exciting when a shot goes up and there's no telling where it will fall. When players really care you can see the pain with every miss and the joy with every make. In the NBA, players get paid millions of dollars and play 82 games a year. If a player screws up, it doesn't matter because there is always another game, and he still gets paid more than the GDP of several countries. Watch a close game in college and a close game in the NBA and it's impossible not to notice the difference. The players play differently, and the fans cheer differently.
Being so different allows the NBA and college basketball to both be great. In the NBA, guys do make every open shot. In the NBA, athletes make plays that seem to defy what a normal human can do. We watch the NBA to see something incredible and some players are so good they hit every big shot, make every big play, and almost never disappoint. That's why a lot of fans (finger pointed very aggressively at my self) only root for players in the NBA. That doesn't make watching the NBA wrong or worse or better, just different. And in college when a player's emotions get the best of him and he plays poorly, or he rides the feelings of the crowd to victory, that doesn't make college basketball better or worse than the NBA, just different.
Random Average College Basketball Guy has one advantage over every star in the NBA -- he knows his days are numbered. He knows he's got four years, and after that he will never play another meaningful game of basketball again. He knows he can literally count the minutes he has left until his dream is over and the hourglass runs out. So every minute of playing time he gets, he plays as hard as he can. He works himself to the point of exhaustion every time his feet touch the floor, because soon, there will be no more work to do (that doesn't involve a time-card). He plays his ass off because if he tries hard enough, the dream may stay alive. That drive, that passion, that effort, and the emotion that comes from it, is what makes college basketball so good. When college players show emotion it connects them to fans, and we are reminded that they are real people. They are college kids eating Spaghettios and frozen pizza who care just as much about the game as we do. And as fans, that's something we care about, that's something that matters.
For some, it may matter too much.
College basketball isn't good because guys make every shot, it's good because players miss a lot of shots too. It's exciting when a shot goes up and there's no telling where it will fall. When players really care you can see the pain with every miss and the joy with every make. In the NBA, players get paid millions of dollars and play 82 games a year. If a player screws up, it doesn't matter because there is always another game, and he still gets paid more than the GDP of several countries. Watch a close game in college and a close game in the NBA and it's impossible not to notice the difference. The players play differently, and the fans cheer differently.
Being so different allows the NBA and college basketball to both be great. In the NBA, guys do make every open shot. In the NBA, athletes make plays that seem to defy what a normal human can do. We watch the NBA to see something incredible and some players are so good they hit every big shot, make every big play, and almost never disappoint. That's why a lot of fans (finger pointed very aggressively at my self) only root for players in the NBA. That doesn't make watching the NBA wrong or worse or better, just different. And in college when a player's emotions get the best of him and he plays poorly, or he rides the feelings of the crowd to victory, that doesn't make college basketball better or worse than the NBA, just different.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Running with the Bulls
So I tried something a little different for my latest post and decided to do a running diary for the Bulls-Heat game on Wednesday. I'm not really sure how this turned out so let me know and if it's good I'll do more and if it sucks I'll throw the idea in the back room with the lost Nixon tapes.
7:15 -- Live from my couch it’s my first running diary. I’ve got basketball pre-game on my tv, Chinese food in my stomach and some Bud Light Limes (screw you it’s a good beer) in my mini fridge. Let’s do this.
7:35 -- Has there been a weirder starting line-up photo than Joel Anthony’s? Apparently he keeps one eye on the ball and one eye on his girlfriend at all times.
7:36 -- My question has been answered, Joakim Noah everybody.
7:40 Miami 6 Bulls 2 – Early on, the Heat seem much crisper on offense. Their passing looks much better than the Bulls and they already they have gotten to the rim twice. If the Bulls can't stop Miami from getting lay-ups and dunks it’s going to be a tough game.
7:41 Miami 6 Bulls 3 – Carlos Boozer commits his second foul of the day. The first one was called while he was brushing his teeth this morning.
7:42 Miami 8 Bulls 3 -- Three out of the first four baskets have been at the rim for the Heat. After not being able to get to the rim in game one, Miami is making a strong effort to fix that in game two.
7:51 Miami 14 Bulls 11 -- The Bulls have made three of their first seventeen shots. Somehow they are only down by three.
7:53 Miami 14 Bulls 13 -- Boozer with the first dunk to scream to emphatic head shake of the night. Boozer would be perfect as a hype man for Jay-Z or Kanye; one of those guys who stands to the side and yells the last word of every other line into a microphone while waving a towel. Tell me he wouldn’t be great at this.
7:56 Miami 15 Bulls 15 -- Rose makes his first field goal with his patented drive to the rim, high shot off the glass, get decked to the floor move. Besides Dirks fade away is there a tougher shot that consistently goes in?
7:59 Miami 15 Bulls 17 -- I bet Franklin and Bash turns out to be pretty good (thoughts from absolutely no one watching the NBA playoffs).
8:02 Miami 15 Bulls 21 -- Three turnovers in a row by the Heat lead to three dunks in a row by the Bulls at the other end. Chicago is starting to turn the tables and dominate the paint at both ends of the floor. If the Bulls can continue their inside scoring it could be a long night for the Lebrons. Also dunks tend to raise a team’s shooting percentage which Chicago has struggled with so far.
8:04 Miami 15 Bulls 21 -- Miami commits another offensive foul for their sixth turnover. The Bulls defense is smothering the Heat right now and they look like the white kid in a New York City pick-up game.
8:07 Miami 19 Bulls 26 -- Deng drains a three as he dribbles past an already headed to the bench Lebron. The seven people watching in South Beach take another bite of their fish tacos.
8:12 Miami 24 Bulls 28 -- The Heat have taken the momentum early in the second quarter (Lebron has taken the momentum early in the second quarter). All of this has been done with Rose, Boozer and Noah on the bench but if Lebron can keep it up Miami should gain ground. Lebron is one of the only guys in the NBA who could take control with Jawon Howard, Mike Miller, Mario Chalmers and Udonis Haslem on the floor with him.
8:16 Miami 24 Bulls 28 -- Mario Chalmers gets his third foul for bending over to tie his shoe. The refs are calling it very tight early and it’s taking away from the game like a person talking in a movie theater. Watching NBA refs can really make you hate the NBA.
8:19 Miami 26 Bulls 32 -- Chicago gets their 89th steal to break away bucket of the first half. The fa-Heat-as are going to need less of those. Wade doesn't foul on the play because he has two fouls already. Thanks refs for directly making the game less exciting.
8:30 Miami 39 Bulls 41 -- Does Carlos Boozer know the Bulls have a game tonight?
8:36 Miami 44 Bulls 43 -- Miami takes the lead for the first time since the early going. Wade has been doing everything for the last five minutes. He is just as important to the Heat as Lebron and didn't get nearly enough credit this year.
8:41 Miami 48 Bulls 46 -- Miami is up by two at half. The Heat offense has been all Lebron and Wade but it is working much better than Chicago’s miss a ton of layups strategy. If the Bulls can make shots they will win but the Heat defense is playing well and Lebron and Wade look ready to take this one over.
9:02 Miami 48 Bulls 46 -- The second half starts after a 20 minute half time. Fortunately it flew by with all those Franklin and Bash commercials.
9:04 Miami 50 Bulls 50 -- Miami's offense actually looks slower when they move the ball and anybody besides Lebron and Wade touch it. It’s painfully obvious how much of their offense is simply those two driving to the rim.
9:15 Miami 57 Bulls 54 -- Rose blows by the entire Heat team and the cameraman but misses another lay-up. He seems tentative around the rim instead of going up with authority as he usually does. The bulls need him to go into eff you mode if their offense is going to hang with the moHeato's
9:18 Miami 65 Bulls 56 -- Back to back fast break lay-ups by Lebron and Wade put the Heat up by eight. The Bulls are still in it because of their defense but they won't win another game if their offense continues to be as inept as it has been tonight. Also if Lebron and Wade play as well as they can in four out of seven games, it will be hard for anybody to beat them (my attempt to jinx the Heat).
9:29 Miami 69 Bulls 64 -- The Bulls are starting to climb back into it as my jinx attempts to gain footing. They are starting to run clean offense and get defensive rebounds.
9:31 Miami 71 Bulls 65 -- Miami takes a six point lead into the fourth quarter after being carried for the last three minutes by none other than Udonis Haslem. Somewhere down by Navy Pier, Carlos Boozer orders his second vodka tonic. It's a little strong.
9:39 Miami 71 Bulls 69 -- The Bulls hit two shots in a row and the crowd has started to climb back into the game. There are nine minutes left and Lebron and Wade are going to have to play the rest of the way. This could be trouble late for the Heatles.
9:44 Miami 73 Bulls 71 -- Derrick Rose is starting to look angry. If he can outplay Lebron and Wade for eight minutes the Bulls can steal this one.
9:52 Miami 73 Bulls 73 -- In one Defensive possession the Bulls shutdown Lebron and Wade is rejected on his way to the hoop. On the following possession the Bulls force up an air ball. This has been the entire game for the Bulls.
9:59 Miami 76 Bulls 73 -- Lebron nails a three coming out of a timeout and has a very scary look on his face. Rose is not outplaying Lebron or Wade and everybody in the Chicago area code is chewing their fingernails.
10:01 Miami 78 Bulls 73 -- The Bulls have gone four minutes without a basket and are only down five. Against The Heat that is absurd defense. If they had gotten anything out of their offense they would have dominated this game.
10:06 Maimi 84 Bulls 75 -- Lebron hits a step back with no time left on the shot clock as he officially takes over this game. If the Bulls get any semblance of offense they win this game, but they ran into the same problems they have in every loss during these playoffs. When Rose does not score the Bulls do not play well and Rose went 7-23 tonight. For those scoring at home, that's not good. If the Bulls can run their offense even at 3/4 of their capabilities they can win this series because their defense keeps them in every game. That's why this game was close even with the Bulls scoring two points in the last seven minutes. Unfortunately for the Bulls, two points isn't going to get it done if they want to beat Miami and move on to the finals.
7:15 -- Live from my couch it’s my first running diary. I’ve got basketball pre-game on my tv, Chinese food in my stomach and some Bud Light Limes (screw you it’s a good beer) in my mini fridge. Let’s do this.
7:35 -- Has there been a weirder starting line-up photo than Joel Anthony’s? Apparently he keeps one eye on the ball and one eye on his girlfriend at all times.
7:36 -- My question has been answered, Joakim Noah everybody.
7:40 Miami 6 Bulls 2 – Early on, the Heat seem much crisper on offense. Their passing looks much better than the Bulls and they already they have gotten to the rim twice. If the Bulls can't stop Miami from getting lay-ups and dunks it’s going to be a tough game.
7:41 Miami 6 Bulls 3 – Carlos Boozer commits his second foul of the day. The first one was called while he was brushing his teeth this morning.
7:42 Miami 8 Bulls 3 -- Three out of the first four baskets have been at the rim for the Heat. After not being able to get to the rim in game one, Miami is making a strong effort to fix that in game two.
7:51 Miami 14 Bulls 11 -- The Bulls have made three of their first seventeen shots. Somehow they are only down by three.
7:53 Miami 14 Bulls 13 -- Boozer with the first dunk to scream to emphatic head shake of the night. Boozer would be perfect as a hype man for Jay-Z or Kanye; one of those guys who stands to the side and yells the last word of every other line into a microphone while waving a towel. Tell me he wouldn’t be great at this.
7:56 Miami 15 Bulls 15 -- Rose makes his first field goal with his patented drive to the rim, high shot off the glass, get decked to the floor move. Besides Dirks fade away is there a tougher shot that consistently goes in?
7:59 Miami 15 Bulls 17 -- I bet Franklin and Bash turns out to be pretty good (thoughts from absolutely no one watching the NBA playoffs).
8:02 Miami 15 Bulls 21 -- Three turnovers in a row by the Heat lead to three dunks in a row by the Bulls at the other end. Chicago is starting to turn the tables and dominate the paint at both ends of the floor. If the Bulls can continue their inside scoring it could be a long night for the Lebrons. Also dunks tend to raise a team’s shooting percentage which Chicago has struggled with so far.
8:04 Miami 15 Bulls 21 -- Miami commits another offensive foul for their sixth turnover. The Bulls defense is smothering the Heat right now and they look like the white kid in a New York City pick-up game.
8:07 Miami 19 Bulls 26 -- Deng drains a three as he dribbles past an already headed to the bench Lebron. The seven people watching in South Beach take another bite of their fish tacos.
8:12 Miami 24 Bulls 28 -- The Heat have taken the momentum early in the second quarter (Lebron has taken the momentum early in the second quarter). All of this has been done with Rose, Boozer and Noah on the bench but if Lebron can keep it up Miami should gain ground. Lebron is one of the only guys in the NBA who could take control with Jawon Howard, Mike Miller, Mario Chalmers and Udonis Haslem on the floor with him.
8:16 Miami 24 Bulls 28 -- Mario Chalmers gets his third foul for bending over to tie his shoe. The refs are calling it very tight early and it’s taking away from the game like a person talking in a movie theater. Watching NBA refs can really make you hate the NBA.
8:19 Miami 26 Bulls 32 -- Chicago gets their 89th steal to break away bucket of the first half. The fa-Heat-as are going to need less of those. Wade doesn't foul on the play because he has two fouls already. Thanks refs for directly making the game less exciting.
8:30 Miami 39 Bulls 41 -- Does Carlos Boozer know the Bulls have a game tonight?
8:36 Miami 44 Bulls 43 -- Miami takes the lead for the first time since the early going. Wade has been doing everything for the last five minutes. He is just as important to the Heat as Lebron and didn't get nearly enough credit this year.
8:41 Miami 48 Bulls 46 -- Miami is up by two at half. The Heat offense has been all Lebron and Wade but it is working much better than Chicago’s miss a ton of layups strategy. If the Bulls can make shots they will win but the Heat defense is playing well and Lebron and Wade look ready to take this one over.
9:02 Miami 48 Bulls 46 -- The second half starts after a 20 minute half time. Fortunately it flew by with all those Franklin and Bash commercials.
9:04 Miami 50 Bulls 50 -- Miami's offense actually looks slower when they move the ball and anybody besides Lebron and Wade touch it. It’s painfully obvious how much of their offense is simply those two driving to the rim.
9:15 Miami 57 Bulls 54 -- Rose blows by the entire Heat team and the cameraman but misses another lay-up. He seems tentative around the rim instead of going up with authority as he usually does. The bulls need him to go into eff you mode if their offense is going to hang with the moHeato's
9:18 Miami 65 Bulls 56 -- Back to back fast break lay-ups by Lebron and Wade put the Heat up by eight. The Bulls are still in it because of their defense but they won't win another game if their offense continues to be as inept as it has been tonight. Also if Lebron and Wade play as well as they can in four out of seven games, it will be hard for anybody to beat them (my attempt to jinx the Heat).
9:29 Miami 69 Bulls 64 -- The Bulls are starting to climb back into it as my jinx attempts to gain footing. They are starting to run clean offense and get defensive rebounds.
9:31 Miami 71 Bulls 65 -- Miami takes a six point lead into the fourth quarter after being carried for the last three minutes by none other than Udonis Haslem. Somewhere down by Navy Pier, Carlos Boozer orders his second vodka tonic. It's a little strong.
9:39 Miami 71 Bulls 69 -- The Bulls hit two shots in a row and the crowd has started to climb back into the game. There are nine minutes left and Lebron and Wade are going to have to play the rest of the way. This could be trouble late for the Heatles.
9:44 Miami 73 Bulls 71 -- Derrick Rose is starting to look angry. If he can outplay Lebron and Wade for eight minutes the Bulls can steal this one.
9:52 Miami 73 Bulls 73 -- In one Defensive possession the Bulls shutdown Lebron and Wade is rejected on his way to the hoop. On the following possession the Bulls force up an air ball. This has been the entire game for the Bulls.
9:59 Miami 76 Bulls 73 -- Lebron nails a three coming out of a timeout and has a very scary look on his face. Rose is not outplaying Lebron or Wade and everybody in the Chicago area code is chewing their fingernails.
10:01 Miami 78 Bulls 73 -- The Bulls have gone four minutes without a basket and are only down five. Against The Heat that is absurd defense. If they had gotten anything out of their offense they would have dominated this game.
10:06 Maimi 84 Bulls 75 -- Lebron hits a step back with no time left on the shot clock as he officially takes over this game. If the Bulls get any semblance of offense they win this game, but they ran into the same problems they have in every loss during these playoffs. When Rose does not score the Bulls do not play well and Rose went 7-23 tonight. For those scoring at home, that's not good. If the Bulls can run their offense even at 3/4 of their capabilities they can win this series because their defense keeps them in every game. That's why this game was close even with the Bulls scoring two points in the last seven minutes. Unfortunately for the Bulls, two points isn't going to get it done if they want to beat Miami and move on to the finals.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
This Ain't Your Daddy's NBA (Or Even Your Big Brothers)
The NBA is becoming a man. It's taken four or five years, but the league has finally matured. Those who've followed closely watched it grow from a young college freshman who drunkenly hits on girls at basement parties, into a seasoned college senior who drunkenly hit on girls in dimly lit basement bars. It became official during the 2011 playoffs when the NBA's young stars earned their diplomas by knocking out the Spurs in round one, the Lakers in round two, and the Celtics only a few days later. Those three teams owned the last decade of basketball. In the last ten years, one of those three teams appeared in the NBA finals every year but one, and the Lakers alone won half of all available championships. Good teams are never good forever though and guys get old, legs get tired, and for a lot of athletes, there is significantly less motivation to make their last million than their first. And so human nature and the human body have taken a hold of the Celtics, Lakers, and Spurs and their time appears to be over. The question is which athletes and teams will step up to claim the next decade. Here is a list of five players who should make more than a few headlines in the next ten years.
#5 Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard is good at basketball for one simple reason, he is absolutely enormous. At 6 feet 11 inches tall with a 7 feet 5 inch wing span; he can touch the roof of most one story houses while standing barefoot. He does not possess any overwhelming skills other than his ability to stand under the rim and be bigger than anybody else in the arena. Fortunately for him, size goes a long way on the basketball court, and he has turned into one of the best players in the NBA. On offense he is a merciless dunk waiting to happen, and on defense all he has to do is stand in the middle of the court and nobody can get around or over him. His large frame has turned him into an unstoppable defender, and he has three straight Defensive Player Of The Year Awards to prove it. Simply put, Howard is the most dominant player in the league in terms of size and strength. He’s also only 25 so unless he starts shrinking when he’s 30 (most people don’t) he should be able to dominate for at least another decade.
#4 Blake Griffin
Blake Griffin is the most exciting player I’ve ever seen in the NBA (not counting Jordan since I still believed in Santa Clause for most of his career). It’s really not even close. There is a simple test to determine when an athlete is really a big deal; if my girlfriend has heard of them (she has), they are a big deal (he is). Nobody in the history of the NBA has dunks like Blake Griffin. The term posterized was invented just so we would have a way to talk about Blake Griffin. On top of his prolificness around the rim he is only a rookie and happens to have a well-balanced all around game. Blake’s only problem is he plays for the worst franchise in the NBA (the Clippers) and for a racist owner, (Donald Sterling). Donald Sterling is a seventy-eight year old business man who owns an NBA team of predominantly black players, and much to absolutely no one’s surprise, this has created a lot of tension and awkward moments in the Clippers franchise. Needless to say, the Clippers have failed under Sterling for many years. But if Blake can find another team (or Donald Sterling reads the emancipation proclamation), we will be talking about Blake as much more than a highlight reel dunk.
#3 Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant, KD for regular NBA fans, is the best all-around scorer in the NBA. There isn’t a place on the court he can’t get a basket from. His height makes him impossible to guard because he can shoot threes over top of guys who are 6’10”, but he’s also quick enough to drive by most guards in the league. His quickness and in-the-gym range make him the definition of a complete scorer. The likes of which haven’t been seen since Jordan was at the peak of his powers and since Kobe was taking every shot for the Lakers and even trying to shoot free throws for his teammates. KD has led the league in scoring the last two years AND plays with a point guard who is primarily a shoot-first player. After coming into the league in 2007, he has gotten better every year and at 22, he is still three or four years away from his prime. He is the only player right now with a legitimate chance of averaging over 30 points per game for multiple years. The last player to do that was Michael Jordan; he turned out to be pretty good.
#2 Derrick Rose
This is the part where it gets a little emotional for me. I would like to take this opportunity to officially announce I have a man crush on Derrick Rose. As an NBA fan with no NBA team, I am left rooting for players, and Rose has officially taken the top spot. After becoming the youngest MVP in the history of the league Rose has reached super-star status as a player after only his third year. On the court he is angry, relentless, and plays with an aggression that doesn't seem to fit his 6 foot 3 inch frame. Off the court he is exactly the opposite. He is quiet, respectful, and outwardly humbled by a game that he knows is bigger than him. A Chicago native, he grew up playing on black top courts on the south side imitating the moves of Chicago's original hero Michael Jordan. After getting drafted #1 overall in 2008, he has stayed true to these roots by making frequent visits back to the Englewood area (with more bodyguards this time) while living out his childhood dream. His work ethic and humble demeanor have endeared him to Bulls fans as well as for-hire NBA fans such as myself. On top of that, he is the best point guard in the NBA and one of the most explosive players we'll ever see. And now if you'll excuse me, I have to go make another pitcher of Derrick Rose Kool-Aid.
#1 Lebron James
Lebron James is the best basketball player in the world. As hard as that is for me to admit, it's true. Take away the entitlement, the commercials, the "decision," the fact that he considers himself a global icon, and you’re left with the greatest combination of size, speed, and power ever seen on a basketball court. From a pure athleticism standpoint he is the perfect basketball player. He is 6 feet 8 inches tall, 250 pounds, and hasn't seen an ounce of fat since Vince made Head On with Jessica Alba. There are plenty of big athletic guys in the NBA; what makes Lebron Lebron is that he can also be a finesse player. He is a great passer and handles the ball like a point guard in the open court. His high basketball IQ allows him to play any position and dominate all of them. There is a reason people thought he could be the best ever. To date, James has yet to live up to that billing, and although he is young, he has entered his prime without a ring. He has the tools to claim this decade for his own and win more than a couple rings. If he can keep his focus on basketball and less on global iconing he will do just that. If not, well, I just finished making my batch of Derrick Rose Kool-Aid.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Highly Anticipated
Right now, all over the world, boxing fans and hip hop fans are playing the waiting game. People everywhere are waiting for two titans of their respective industries to give them what they want. For boxing fans, there are appetizers like Pacquio-De La Hoya and Pacquio-Margarito to stave off hunger; but in the end this still leaves them feeling empty with anticipation of the main course. For hip hop fans, new artists like Kid Cudi, Wale and B.o.B. have emerged to fill a void that, for the last ten years, has only been getting bigger.
In the boxing world there is one fight everybody wants to see, Mayweather-Pacquio. This fight has been building for years and in 2010 fight fans nearly had their white whale. Then for curious reasons (Mayweather is a scared bitch), the fight didn't happen. Pacquio went on to mow through other opponents and Mayweather went lord knows where but I can only assume it was somewhere with a blanky and a night light. To this day just mumbling the words "Pacquio-Mayweather" gives fight fans goosebumps. On a similar note, uttering the word "detox" can elicit emotional trauma amongst fans of rap music. Detox is of course the highly anticipated third studio album from hip hop mogul Dr. Dre. Andre Young's first two studio albums, The Chronic and 2001, were met with widespread praise from critics and a borderline dangerous obsession from the public. For the last ten years Dr. Dre has been producing music for other artists but has failed to give hip hop fans (me) that third album they so desperately desire.
Fortunately for music fans a few songs from Detox have leaked and a 2011 release date seems much more likely than any sort of meeting between Mayweather that fucking pussyajsd;lfkjsdalf oh sorry I sneezed, than any sort of meeting between Mayweather and Pacquio. For now both groups of fans remain in purgatory forced to wait it out until their day comes. Hopefully they both come soon. In the meantime below is a video that brings these two worlds together. It is a video hyping Pacquio's most recent fight (in which he absolutely pasted Sugar Shane Mosely of course) set to a song from Dre's Detox album. Watch. Listen. Enjoy.
If I know one thing about hip hop its Fuck Tha Police! If I know two things about hip hop its that my friend Chris knows everything there is to know about it. The kid has an unbridled passion for rap music and is always on top of what you should be listening to. He has managed to turn this into a semi-career and you can check out his blog http://rawtracks.wordpress.com/ and at the very least he will show you a couple songs you'll like that you never would have known about. If you have Facebook or Twitter (cut to you nodding your head) you can follow him @rawtracks on twitter or check in for quick updates on facebook at www.facebook.com/rawtracksmusic.
In the boxing world there is one fight everybody wants to see, Mayweather-Pacquio. This fight has been building for years and in 2010 fight fans nearly had their white whale. Then for curious reasons (Mayweather is a scared bitch), the fight didn't happen. Pacquio went on to mow through other opponents and Mayweather went lord knows where but I can only assume it was somewhere with a blanky and a night light. To this day just mumbling the words "Pacquio-Mayweather" gives fight fans goosebumps. On a similar note, uttering the word "detox" can elicit emotional trauma amongst fans of rap music. Detox is of course the highly anticipated third studio album from hip hop mogul Dr. Dre. Andre Young's first two studio albums, The Chronic and 2001, were met with widespread praise from critics and a borderline dangerous obsession from the public. For the last ten years Dr. Dre has been producing music for other artists but has failed to give hip hop fans (me) that third album they so desperately desire.
Fortunately for music fans a few songs from Detox have leaked and a 2011 release date seems much more likely than any sort of meeting between Mayweather that fucking pussyajsd;lfkjsdalf oh sorry I sneezed, than any sort of meeting between Mayweather and Pacquio. For now both groups of fans remain in purgatory forced to wait it out until their day comes. Hopefully they both come soon. In the meantime below is a video that brings these two worlds together. It is a video hyping Pacquio's most recent fight (in which he absolutely pasted Sugar Shane Mosely of course) set to a song from Dre's Detox album. Watch. Listen. Enjoy.
If I know one thing about hip hop its Fuck Tha Police! If I know two things about hip hop its that my friend Chris knows everything there is to know about it. The kid has an unbridled passion for rap music and is always on top of what you should be listening to. He has managed to turn this into a semi-career and you can check out his blog http://rawtracks.wordpress.com/ and at the very least he will show you a couple songs you'll like that you never would have known about. If you have Facebook or Twitter (cut to you nodding your head) you can follow him @rawtracks on twitter or check in for quick updates on facebook at www.facebook.com/rawtracksmusic.
Monday, May 9, 2011
The Kobe Era
May 7, 2011, that was the day the Kobe era died. It happened in Dallas during a game that saw two Lakers get ejected, one take his shirt off, and the rest of the team get beat by 36 points as the door was slammed emphatically shut on the Lakers 2010-2011 season. That Saturday night also marked the end of what is considered by many to be the greatest coaching career in professional sports, and the career of one of the greatest Lakers of all time.
This season Bryant went from being Kobe! to just being Kobe. Coming off a season that featured six game winning shots, an NBA championship and about 536 eff you glares (numbers not exact); Kobe was able to make exactly zero game winning shots and the Lakers were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs. Kobe may not have been the reason the Lakers lost, but in past years he would not have let it happen. Their is no way 2000-2010 Kobe lets that Lakers team gets swept by that Mavericks team.
For years Kobe has been the ultimate put his team on his back guy; taking every shot his team needed him to take and making seemingly all of them. From the moment this series started though it was obvious something was off. Like Vinny Chase after he got dumped by Mandy Moore, Kobe just seemed different. He started missing all the shots he never misses and when his team was down, the guy who used to take the game over was nowhere to be found. In game one with his team down by two, Kobe came off a screen to take a wide open three-pointer. The moment the ball left his hand I would have bet my life savings, my first born and every drink I will have for the rest of my life (if you know me you understand the implications of that) on that ball going for three. Instead, back iron, just long. That one shot laid out the difference between new Kobe and old Kobe. Old Kobe that shot goes in, Lakers win game one and have a good shot at the series. New Kobe that shot hits back iron, the Lakers get swept and Andrew Bynum brings the flying elbow back to the NBA.
So the era of Kobe being Kobe! comes to a close. He may still win an NBA championship but it won't be as the ruthless, unshakable assassin he used to be. As far as his legacy, say what you want about his off the court issues and general dickishness, the man has won a ton of basketball games and five NBA Titles. As fans all we can really ask of a player is that they try hard and care about what they're doing. Nobody tried harder than Kobe these last ten years. For better or for worse all he cares about is winning basketball games which is more than you can say for a lot of NBA players. The only player who cared more than Bryant was Jordan and for Chicago fans their is another young guard who may be wired the same way. And as an unashamed NBA fair weather fan who only roots for players, I would like to take this opportunity to climb off the Kobe train and ask for a spot on the D-Rose bandwagon. I'll even sit bitch, I don't care.
This season Bryant went from being Kobe! to just being Kobe. Coming off a season that featured six game winning shots, an NBA championship and about 536 eff you glares (numbers not exact); Kobe was able to make exactly zero game winning shots and the Lakers were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs. Kobe may not have been the reason the Lakers lost, but in past years he would not have let it happen. Their is no way 2000-2010 Kobe lets that Lakers team gets swept by that Mavericks team.
For years Kobe has been the ultimate put his team on his back guy; taking every shot his team needed him to take and making seemingly all of them. From the moment this series started though it was obvious something was off. Like Vinny Chase after he got dumped by Mandy Moore, Kobe just seemed different. He started missing all the shots he never misses and when his team was down, the guy who used to take the game over was nowhere to be found. In game one with his team down by two, Kobe came off a screen to take a wide open three-pointer. The moment the ball left his hand I would have bet my life savings, my first born and every drink I will have for the rest of my life (if you know me you understand the implications of that) on that ball going for three. Instead, back iron, just long. That one shot laid out the difference between new Kobe and old Kobe. Old Kobe that shot goes in, Lakers win game one and have a good shot at the series. New Kobe that shot hits back iron, the Lakers get swept and Andrew Bynum brings the flying elbow back to the NBA.
So the era of Kobe being Kobe! comes to a close. He may still win an NBA championship but it won't be as the ruthless, unshakable assassin he used to be. As far as his legacy, say what you want about his off the court issues and general dickishness, the man has won a ton of basketball games and five NBA Titles. As fans all we can really ask of a player is that they try hard and care about what they're doing. Nobody tried harder than Kobe these last ten years. For better or for worse all he cares about is winning basketball games which is more than you can say for a lot of NBA players. The only player who cared more than Bryant was Jordan and for Chicago fans their is another young guard who may be wired the same way. And as an unashamed NBA fair weather fan who only roots for players, I would like to take this opportunity to climb off the Kobe train and ask for a spot on the D-Rose bandwagon. I'll even sit bitch, I don't care.
Is This Real or Just a Movie
A letter to the Boston Celtics,
Boston, I implore you, nay I beg you, can you please beat the Miami Heat? The entire regular season was just a long set up for you to crush them in the playoffs; and now I and the greater New England area are left holding our collective breath as Miami looks poised to advance. With every Lebron James dunk (and their have been plenty), we cringe. With every Dwayne Wade cross-over (and their have been plenty), we cringe. With every minute Boston looks shaky, old and unable to hang (basically all 96 of them), we cringe and ask ourselves; does the bad guy really win in this one?
If the Heat win it will go against every movie I've ever seen and every story I've ever been told. The villain isn't allowed to triumph in the end. Justice must be served and the bad guy must meet their maker at the hands of a generous hero. So I ask you Boston, can you be that hero? If you can't, that means Rudy never got to play in college, nobody remembered the titans, and Bruce Willis got shot right after he said "Yippee ki-yay mother fucker". Please Boston, don't let Bruce get shot.
The crazy part is this NBA season really is starting to feel like a movie. The moment Lebron tried to make his head bigger by sticking his ego in it and taking his talents to South Beach he became the villain. Jerseys were burned, he was booed across the country and everyone decided the Heat were their least favorite team. Playing the villain role perfectly Lebron was even able to recruit Chris Bosh into his company of hot headed evil doers. The only thing this story needs is a hero and the Boston Celtics have arrived wearing green capes and ready to kick ass. Like the old grizzled cop taking one last case before he retires, Boston is a team made up of respected veterans with one last shot at winning the title. Could this season be more like a movie? This couldn't be more scripted if it was the WWE (if this was the WWE the Heat would get power bombed in game 7).
The only thing this script is missing so far is a sidekick. The young tough up-start who thinks he's ready, has a chance, but in the end might find out his time isn't until the sequel. During the 2011 NBA season, this part has been played by the Chicago Bulls (yes I just called the Bulls Robin and I deeply apologize, but at least you get to make out with Uma Thurman in one scene). The Bulls have looked good all year but have struggled some in the playoffs. They may have to wait until next year, or this is the part in the movie where the student tells the master to move over and takes down the bad guy himself. And so in the playoffs we have the cast and we have the plot. The only thing left is to see how the third act ends and again I ask, Boston, please don't let the heat win. If you do, there is at least a 70% chance Lebron releases a rap album this summer.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
My Mission/My Calling (I Hope)
I am almost positive I came out of the womb holding a smart phone running the ESPN Radio app. If that is not the case then I'm sure Sportscenter was turned on by the time I was wrapped in a blanket. All I watch is sports all I read about is sports. At the end of the day all I really think about is sports. My girlfriend loves this about me.
As I discreetly alluded to earlier, this has essentially always been the case. For me the best part of Saturday has always been watching college football and the longest day of the year has always been the Monday after the Super Bowl. When the Packers win that Monday tends to be particularly sad. This passion is not limited to football. For that would be to deny myself the glory of march madness, the entertainment of the NBA playoffs, and the lunacy of the NHL. And as The Rock says, limiting myself to only real sports would also be a poor choice (he's articulate when he wants to be jabroni). Also, I love watching golf. My girlfriend reeeally loves this about me. All this time spent watching sports has taught me a few very important lessons.
First lesson, sports is the best thing to argue about because in the end someone is proven right. In the end a game is played and a question gets answered. In politics people end up hating each other and if it's an election year their is a tax cut. Second lesson, their is more real life drama in sports than in anything else on TV. This is not including the local news which nobody watches anyways. I don't care if True Life is your favorite show their is nothing like watching the emotional swings involved in a close college basketball game. Hearing Randy Jackson say "pitchy" over and over may be exciting, but it just doesn't hold up to watching a golfer break down and cry after blowing a lead and hitting one in the water. The thing that really sets sports apart though is the ability of a single game to make hundreds, thousands or even millions of people feel the exact same way. A winning team can send millions of people into a state of jubilation while a losing team can leave an entire city frustrated. The beauty of sport is even a losing team brings people together.
And that brings us to the third lesson. In the end, it's just a game. After all the emotion, after all the fighting, after all the sweat, blood and tears, its just a game. In sports, people who want nothing more than to beat the crap out of each other can come together and shake hands. It is this comradery in the face of blinding emotion that separates sports from other conflicts. In real life differences separate people to the point of pure hatred, but with sports everyone eventually comes together in the end. These three things encompass everything I find absolutely fascinating about sports and are the reason sitting down on a Tuesday night and watching hockey, can actually be a pretty good time.
As I discreetly alluded to earlier, this has essentially always been the case. For me the best part of Saturday has always been watching college football and the longest day of the year has always been the Monday after the Super Bowl. When the Packers win that Monday tends to be particularly sad. This passion is not limited to football. For that would be to deny myself the glory of march madness, the entertainment of the NBA playoffs, and the lunacy of the NHL. And as The Rock says, limiting myself to only real sports would also be a poor choice (he's articulate when he wants to be jabroni). Also, I love watching golf. My girlfriend reeeally loves this about me. All this time spent watching sports has taught me a few very important lessons.
First lesson, sports is the best thing to argue about because in the end someone is proven right. In the end a game is played and a question gets answered. In politics people end up hating each other and if it's an election year their is a tax cut. Second lesson, their is more real life drama in sports than in anything else on TV. This is not including the local news which nobody watches anyways. I don't care if True Life is your favorite show their is nothing like watching the emotional swings involved in a close college basketball game. Hearing Randy Jackson say "pitchy" over and over may be exciting, but it just doesn't hold up to watching a golfer break down and cry after blowing a lead and hitting one in the water. The thing that really sets sports apart though is the ability of a single game to make hundreds, thousands or even millions of people feel the exact same way. A winning team can send millions of people into a state of jubilation while a losing team can leave an entire city frustrated. The beauty of sport is even a losing team brings people together.
And that brings us to the third lesson. In the end, it's just a game. After all the emotion, after all the fighting, after all the sweat, blood and tears, its just a game. In sports, people who want nothing more than to beat the crap out of each other can come together and shake hands. It is this comradery in the face of blinding emotion that separates sports from other conflicts. In real life differences separate people to the point of pure hatred, but with sports everyone eventually comes together in the end. These three things encompass everything I find absolutely fascinating about sports and are the reason sitting down on a Tuesday night and watching hockey, can actually be a pretty good time.
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