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Lakers x KG x Durant x Dwight Howard on SLAM Cover

Jo$h — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:23:36 +0000

I’ve been slacking on my magazines lately (along with the entire industry) but I’ll be c

Mentors: Find One/Be One

GKB — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:38:18 +0000

“I think you need to find a good mentor.”–my mother

I would provide a date for the above quote from my mother, but truth be told, she has been saying it continuously since I was 12 years old. The idea is that the best way to “get-ahead” or “find the course” , is to interact with those people whom have already been there and done that. This has always seemed like a no-brainer to me, but sadly, it isn’t as easy as it seems. Why not?

Two Reasons:

Lack of available mentors
Lack of interest from those whom would be mented, er, the mentees

For possible mentors, I assume that there a various reasons why someone wouldn’t be available for this much-needed job. I would suggest time, or perceived commitment of time is probably the number 1 reason. Folks are busy, and that is understandable.

For potential mentees (I’m sticking with this word), not seeking out mentors is a result of several factors. For many, it is the idea that there is shame by admitting they don’t known everything.

This recent article about NFL player Vince Young being mentored by Kobe Bryant via text message should dispel both misconceptions. If Vince Young, a Rose Bowl winning quarterback, cover-boy for video games, can admit he needs help, than we should be able to as well. And if Kobe Bryant, international superstar, icon, has time to provide that mentoring, we can too.

How does this tie into getting into college? Simple. Want to go to UCLA? Find a former student whom went through the process to get their feedback. Talk to counselors whom specialize in getting into UCs (like this one) and solicit their insight. If you’ve been through the admissions process, contact your old high school and offer to come speak about your process.

Find a mentor/be a mentor.

De Gasol en singstar a Maravich en Vitalis

matraco — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:20:58 +0000

El (escalofriante) anuncio de Pau Gasol para singstar me recordaba que hace unos meses publicamos el brillante anuncio del “Guitar Hero” con Kobe Bryant y otras estrellas del deporte USA (recordad en jugones), que casi superaban la insuperable versión inicial de 4 de los técnicos más prestigiosos del baloncesto en Estados Unidos. Ese anuncio ha dejado una secuela con Metallica poniendo las cosas en su sitio (ver en youtube), aunque la versión más interesante (y menos relacionada con la NBA) es la de Heidi Klum (ver …rápido!).

Pero todo un descubrimiento es este anuncio de Pete Maravich. No tengo palabras.

¿Es Maravich? ¿O un imitador?

Jim Cramer's Mad Money ............Buys, Sells And Holds ...........NBA Style .....

tophatal — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:05:50 +0000

Former hedge fund manager and now CNBC stock tipster and analyst Jim Cramer has always had his own style and presentation on television. That being said, he’d be the last person I’d be taking advice from on anything to do with the indices of the stock market. Or anything else when it comes to financial analysis or any information involving the companies listed on the NSYE.This is the same guy, who was dishing out advice to his avid viewers that they ought to invest their savings in the now disreputable companies, AIGand Bear Stearns. Now, to say that Cramer isn’t deserving of having his testicles removed and served up to him in the form of a meal wouldn’t be doing the people who lost money from his advice any justice whatsoever ! But such are the benefits to those who choose not to seek due diligence when taking advice from an individual , who despite his immense knowledge , comes across as nothing more than a charlatan.

You’ve got to hand it toComedy Central’s Jon Stewart for pointing out something that not even the so called knowledgeable pundits at Fox Business Channelwould’ve thought newsworthy.But then again when have Fox ever been known to be informative to begin with in terms of being a news channel ? And for those of you still seeking out the advice of Jim Cramer ? I wish you well , well about as well as leper who’s now beginning to realize that what the doctor prescribed just isn’t working. And Cramer’s own asinine assertion and suggestions as to what he did or didn’t say, shows you what a complete asshole he really is to begin with !

The NBA at present is filled with teams whose very prowess on the court can at present be measured by the volatility shown by the Dow Jones Index (DJIA). And were a number of the franchises of the NBA placed within the DJIA. I wonder what price and recommendations there’d be forthcoming from those covering the game ? Again I’d preface this by saying that the likes of Stephen A. Smith,Tim Legler,Ric Bucher and Skip Baylesswouldn’t be the guys I’d be looking to for comfort , advice or any form of solace when it comes to the NBA or otherwise. Whatever insight they’re liable to provide is about as welcoming as be told by your proctologist that he’d like to give you that customary finger wave of your rectum,merely to elicit having some fun on his part. Pretty safe to say that one finger wave too many a year is one finger less welcomed.

New Jersey Nets team members from left, interim coach Tom Barrise, assitant coach Doug Overton, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Devin Harris, Josh Boone and Trenton Hassell look on during the second half of their NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009, in Los Angeles. The Nets matched the worst start to an NBA season with their 17th straight loss Sunday night in the Lakers' 106-87 victory.picture appears courtesy of AP/Photo/Mark J. Terrill ..........

Straight out of the gate, some of the teams have performed exceptionally badly. And for beleaguered Lawrence Frank and the hapless, New Jersey Nets. At this juncture there’s absolutely no chance of a do-over whatsoever ! What may well have started out as a season of promise has slowly fallen apart and become an absolute nightmare for Frank, his players,ownership and no doubt the fans, in particular. I’d hate to think what’s now going through the mind of principal partner,Bruce A Ratner ? Especially as he sees this team sink into the abyss of sheer ineptitude. Any thoughts that they might’ve had of luring LeBron James to Brooklyn in 2010 , has to be shelved at this time. Not with this team in need of a backbone and so much more ! At 0-16 and on the cusp of NBA infamy in terms of successive games lost to start a NBA regular season schedule the Nets seem to be just one loss away of equalling that dubious record. My recommendation : Sell !

Can someone explain to me what fate the basketball gods has in store for the New York Knicks ? Needless to say, after the abrupt departure of former coach and executive Isiah Thomas. It was felt that the organization was stepping in the right direction with the hiring of Mike D’Antoni, as their coach. Also,the bringing in of Donnie Walsh, to oversee the basketball operations,in terms being the general manager of the Knicks. Needless to say, the Knicks are no further along in their progression, as the coalition forces are in finding Osama bin Laden. And for those of you who’d rather be up in the Tora Bora mountain range on the Pakistani , Afghani border ,rather than watching the Knicks play. Reserve me a seat , as I’d no doubt would want to join you in that particular exercise. Not only have the Knicks become worse under D’Antoni, they’re a complete embarrassment to the NBA ,as a whole ! Commissioner,David Stern, is there no chance that we can have some contraction within the NBA ? As there are now one or two teams that are making a mockery of the game and how it ought to be played. And the New York Knicks is undoubtedly one of those very teams ! My recommendation : Sell ! Not to hold, just damn well , sell !

Detroit Pistons center Ben Wallace (6) takes a shot over Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith (5) in the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009, in Auburn Hills, Mich. Wallace scored 10 points and pulled down 18 rebounds in the Pistons' 94-88 win. picture appears courtesy of AP/photo/ Duane Burleson ..............

I not saying that the Detroit Pistons have fallen on hard times. But their fall from grace , makes the demise of Michael Jackson seem like an act of overt kindness. OK , so we can dispute the facts that’ve led to the untimely death to the one time ‘King of Pop’. What no one can doubt however, is that Jackson apart from being a mild neurotic was enabled by family members and others amongst his entourage to keep up his absurd behavior. And along with that came an assortment of medical professionals who proffered up whatever medication of the day was the norm for Jackson. What of the ‘hippocratic oath’ for these doctors ? First do no harm ? Somewhere along the lines it must’ve been blurred for them from the sight of the money that Jackson was needlessly spending on their services !

As to what Pistons’ GM Joe Dumars, was seeking to do,when he traded All Star point guard Chauncey Billups to the Denver Nuggets,in exchange for Allen Iverson. Well, let’s just say that experiment was about as worthwhile as sticking your arm into the mouth of a hungry crocodile waiting and then waiting to see what the outcome will be.And with Iverson, now said to be mulling retirement , after not being able to find a franchise willing to take him. One might clearly think that at the time Dumars was merely flying by the seat of his pants in thinking that Iverson could provide the team with a much needed spark. In essence, the Pistons had become an old team spoilt on its earlier success and who weren’t willing to make the necessary changes need at the time, in order to build for the future.

Now with the departure of Rasheed Wallace to the Boston Celtics, the team is nowhere nearer to being one of the once dominant franchises with the NBA’s Eastern Conference. Dumars and the team’s coach, John Kuester, now have their work cut out for them, if they’re to turn things around make this team be one with a presence, not just within their division but throughout the NBA as a whole. The window of opportunity for the Pistons has closed and they’re not about to scale back to the heights of prominence ,which they once held. It’s now far too late for that , despite the appearance of youth on the tea’s roster. They now lack a true leader and a proven and consistent scorer on their roster. And it is something that will become their undoing. My recommendation : Sell !

In the Western Conference where it’s presumed the star talent of the NBA is reserved and perhaps the better of the teams throughout the league on the whole are domiciled. We all know that at the end of the day it’s very competitive within the conference. With the reigning champions, the Los Angeles Lakers looking to successfully defend their crown. The bullseye is now comfortably placed upon their back. And with the likes of the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trailblazers, Utah Jazz , Houston Rockets and a newly revitalized Oklahoma City Thunder all looking to take them down. One would suspect that the Lakers and in particular Kobe Bryant and the team’s coach ,Phil Jackson are relishing the challenge of defending their NBA title.

You’ll know doubt get some criticism from those in the Eastern Conference who’ll state that the play and talent there is somewhat better than their counterparts in the West. But I’d view that as something of an anathema at this juncture. Teams in the Eastern Conference tend to play a much more conservative type of basketball and where defense is their mainstay. Whereas, in the West much of the play there is most definitely predicated upon offense. Although the likes of the Spurs and Jazz would beg to differ in that context.

Los Angeles , California , November 29th,. Jordan Farmar (1) of the Los Angeles Lakers goes up for a shot against the New Jersey Nets at Staples Center on November 29, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. picture appears courtesy of NBAE/Getty Images/ Noah Graham ..........

Of the three pre-eminent teams in the Eastern Conference ,in no discerning order, we have the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic. The most well balanced and deepest in terms of their roster , may well be Stan Van Gundy’s Magic team. Of the three teams also, I do believe that the Magic by their play as of late, is the most improved. The additions of Brandon Bass, Vince Carter and Jason Williams has proven to be fortuitous.And General Manager,Otis Smith, might just be one of the least celebrated if not the most astute front office executives in the NBA at present. If nothing else it gives the Magic’s center, Dwight Howard, room to do what he does best and that’s to pound the boards and show off his defensive and offensive prowess. My recommendation : Buy and buy strong.

Besides the Magic in the Eastern Conference , the really only other noteworthy teams one ought to look at, are the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics. The Cavaliers for their part, with the addition of Shaquille O’Neal to complement with the undoubted talents of LeBron James , might just well give the team its best chance of making another appearance in the NBA Finals. But here’s the caveat with regard to the team , when they face real adversity they’re not always able to handle it well. And that could once again become their undoing.That’s in light of having the experienced veteran presence of O’Neal on this roster. My recommendation: Hold . If things fall their way,they could just go out and finally achieve the winning of that elusive ring for James.

Denver Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups, left, drives for the basket as Minnesota Timberwolves center Al Jefferson defends in the fourth quarter of the Timberwolves' 106-100 victory in an NBA basketball game in Denver on Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009. The victory broke Minnesota's 15-game losing streak. picture appears courtesy of AP/photo/David Zalubowski ............

The Boston Celtics for their part has the experience and with seasoned veterans , such as Kevin Garnett, Paul Piece,Ray Allen and now Rasheed Wallace. This is a roster, whose coach Doc Rivers, knows how to win games and how to motivate his team. Added to the fact that they now have a point guard of note in, Rajon Rondo, they would be viewed as the presumptive favorites in the conference to win it all. My only concern with the Celtics however, is their health, especially when it comes to the question of their main quartet of players. That issue alone may well be enough to make on hedge their bets as to the overall chances of the team winning a second title for the organization with Rivers at the helm as their coach.
My recommendation here : Again a Hold. Down the stretch run of the regular season if the quartet is healthy , then there could be everything to play for with the Boston Celtics being added into the mix.

As the reigning champions ,the Los Angeles Lakers have added by subtraction. In losing Trevor Ariza to the Houston Rockets and obtaining free agent,Ron Artest. One could say, that they’ve become a much better team ? They’ve added a defensive presence in Artest and an additional scoring option behind Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. And that’s with no disrespect to either,Lamar Odom or Andrew Bynum. But the addition of Artest does make a great deal of sense , if one takes away the baggage that he brings along with him. Here’s a player that brings along with him mental toughness and a willingness to do the dirty work required on either end of the floor. The same can’t be said of certain players on this Lakers’ roster. My recommendation on the Lakers : Buy, a very strong buy ! They’re the team to beat in the Western Conference. As defending champions and with Bryant as the ever present catalyst . How can you bet against them ?

San Antonio, Tx, November 29th. Richard Jefferson (24) of the San Antonio Spurs shoots against Samuel Dalembert (1) of the Philadelphia 76ers on November 29, 2009 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: picture appears courtewsy of NBAE/Getty mages/D. Clarke Evans .........

Besides the Lakers in the Western Conference , if anyone is to challenge their supremacy within the conference. Then, the challenge well come from the San Antonio Spurs,Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks and the up and coming Portland Trailblazers. Now where would should one start ?

First off , the four time NBA champions, the San Antonio Spurs seem finally to began to have realized that they can’t simply rely on the aging triumvirate of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli and Tony Parker to lead this team. As great as they’ve been over the years , last year was a telling one for the franchise . They simply plugged away but with recurring injuries to each of the triumvirate, you knew it was only a matter of time before the wheels on the bus would continually happen to go flat.

Coach,Gregg Popovich, and the team’s GM, R. C. Buford, sought to bring in Richard Jefferson from the Milwaukee Bucks via a trade. Added to that they’d re-signed veteran Antonio McDyess to a three year deal and they’ve now got another creative play-maker in Roger Mason on the roster. This could prove to be a resurgent year for the Spurs. But much of that will no doubt be predicated upon the fitness of their triumvirate throughout the season and of course into an extended playoff run. And no doubt with the added depth of the team. Coach Popovich will make sure that his players are well rested and free of those worrisome and niggling injuries. My recommendation on the Spurs: Buy !

As good as the Denver Nuggets have looked this season, I can’t help but wonder if their heartbreaking loss of a series in the conference finals of last year wasn’t their one and only opportunity that they’ll have with George Karl, leading the charge as their coach ? The team is resplendent with stars such as Carmelo Anthony,Kenyon Martin, Chauncey Billups,J. R. Smith and Nene’. Built primarily around speed, athleticism and a great deal offensive prowess, the team has now seen that offense alone can’t be their only virtue. And with All Star point guard , Chauncey Billups providing much of that much needed efensive grit and presence. The team has now found a new sense of urgency and acceptance of the task at hand. As to whether or not they can usurp the Los Angeles Lakers remains to be seen. But if there’s one thing that we’re no doubt sure of , it is that the Nuggets are not prepared to lie down and be walked all over. My recommendation : A buy.

If there’s a team that I’ve come to admire in the Western Conference . Then that would have to be the Portland Trailblazers. For so long, they were often seen as a the pariahs of the NBA. In some respects they were more noted for their off the field problems, far more than they were known for anything that they were trying to achieve on it. And it took a turnaround in the mindset of owner, Paul Allen and that of the Trailblazers’ front office in making the drastic changes needed to right this listed ship. General Manager, Kevin Pritchard and Head Coach, Nate McMillan, saw fit to build from the ground up, uprooting the roster of the malcontents and ill fitting parts to a team that had continually underachieved.

Now in its place the Trailblazers have a young, competitive and desirable team that is the envy of the NBA. They’re led by such aspiring stars as Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Rudy Fernandez, Steve Blake and now it’d appear to be fully fit and resurgent center,Greg Oden. The latter of whom, has begun to justify the team’s faith in him, having missed his first season in the league ,due to a sever knee injury and then surgery.

You’d be highly mistaken in thinking that because the Trailblazers on the face of it are very much a young and inexperienced team, that they wouldn’t have what it takes to pull of an upset. But this is very much a team that knows how to play to its strengths and negates much of the weaknesses that others think that they often see. And in their coach, Nate McMillan , they have someone whose coaching philosophy is being listened to by his players and being heeded all too well. My recommendation on the Portland Trailblazers : Hold !

For me , I very much placed both the Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns in the same boat. As time goes by, their window of opportunity to win an NBA championship continues to close ever so rapidly. And if they’re unable to do it now, then they’re not going to be able to do it at any time in the near future. On both counts they’ve something of an aging roster and though in essence neither team can ever be viewed as being out of the picture. The fact of the matter is, that each time when they’re called upon to take that final step forward. They appear to be only all too willing to fall flat on their proverbial behinds,when trying to take that step to the next evel. One wouldn’t mind if it wasn’t for the fact that their front offices, in terms of the respective general managers have continued to make considerable mistakes concerning personnel decisions.

And in both,Steve Kerr of the Suns and Donnie Nelson of the Mavericks, you may well have two of the worst GM’s in all of the NBA. But then again I may well be overlooking the once terrific job that was done by then GM, Elgin Baylor for the Los Angeles Clippers ? Let’s just say that Baylor’s knowledge of player personnel as it regards the NBA game of today,ranks up there alongside the intelligence quotient of both Paris Hilton and Tara Reid, combined. And in this case both Kerr and Nelson aren’t that far behind him in that dubious distinction !

As good on paper as both teams might appear to be what they both lack in mental toughness and leadership. Dirk Nowitzki and his cast of teammates of the Dallas Mavericks are about as scary,as Clay Aiken trying to show his masculine side by claiming to be an all-out action star. The thought of which makes you wonder what it is that Aiken does in his down time ? Please no salacious answers to the question ? How else can one explain the Mavericks’ recent 111-103 loss to an undermanned Golden State Warriors’ team, that could only field eight fully fit players for the game ? Needless to say the answers forthcoming will as diverse as usual ! My recommendation for the Mavericks: Sell ! They’re just simply not worth it at this juncture !

The Phoenix Suns for their part can only go as far as the ageless wonder, Steve Nash can take them. With the ‘Shaquille O’Neal experiment’ now long gone. It’s back to the up-tempo basketball that they were once known for. That being said one doubts that their game that’s very much predicated upon primarily offense , will stand them in good stead come playoff time. Especially when given light to the fact for the Suns to play defense is like asking a crack addict to give up his crack pipe for 72 hours. It simply can’t be done without them going ‘cold turkey’. And that in essence is what one simply sees,when viewing this team. My recommendation with regard to the Phoenix Suns : Sell !

Now comes the easy part as to the bottom feeders at present in the Western Conference. The Golden State Warriors. My recommendation : Sell !
The Los Angeles Clippers my recommendation : Sell . The Minnesota Timberwolves,what more can I say, but sell !
The New Orleans Hornets and Memphis Grizzlies – sell !

Bottom feeders in the Eastern Conference ? Well, the New Jersey Nets have seen fit to get rid of Lawrence Frank and that still hasn’t stop the losses. Enough said ! Sell ! As with the sentiment concerning the Buffalo Bills. No one knows of better ways of losing, than the New York Knicks. Sell the whole damn lot of your allotted stake in this sorry ass team ! You’ll thank me in the long run for suggesting that !
Washington Wizards and Indiana Pacers ? Someone suggested to me that there’s optimism there concerning the Wizards ? Well , I’ve got a suggestion for that certain individual, look at their damn record at present and tell me where you see them progressing to ? The Indiana Pacers and their GM , Larry Bird are simply now treading water, awaiting some sort of divine intervention. The sad part to this all, is that the Pacers’ Danny Granger is now languishing on a team, whereby the talent he’s surrounded by is no better than that of a D-affiliate of an NBA franchise. My recommendation: Sell both !

NBA Standings By Conference click here ……….

Eastern

Team Record

New Jeresy Nets 0-16

New York Knicks 3-13

Indiana Pacers 6-8

Detroit Pistons 5-11

Washington Wizards 5-10

Western Conference

Team Record

Minnesota T’wolves 1-15

Los Angeles Clippers 7-10

Golden State Warriors 5-10

New Orleans Hornets 7-9

Memphis Grizzlies 6-10

NB: Financial Services company, AIG, was bailed out by the government to the tune of $150 billion of taxpayers’ monies. And at present they’re still on the edge of a financial precipice. Bear Stearns was taken over by investment bank J P Morgan & Co.. This was done after the company had racked up in excess of $81.6 billion worth of debt, for which it had less than $8 billion of liquid assets. J P Morgan was in receipt of $25 billion of Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) monies, courtesy of the Federal Government. Of which part has been repaid, the remaining outstanding balance due is less than $ 6 billion.

New Jersey Nets Tie Record For Worst NBA Start At 0-17

stepupyagame — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:57:34 +0000

After firing coach Lawrence Frank when the Nets reached 0-16, they tied the record for the worst start ever in NBA History last night with a 106-87 loss to the LA Lakers. Kobe Bryant led the way with 30 points. Hopefully the Nets get some type of inspiration to actually win a game. They are now 0-17.

~Signing Off~
AGE

Yok Artık Kobe Bryant

brovision — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:42:50 +0000

23 Kasım Pazartesi L.A. Lakers’ın Oklahoma City Thunder’ı 101-85 yendiği maçta Kobe Bryant’ın panya arkasından attığı inanılmaz basket.

Tiger

Keith — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:48:37 +0000

Like many of you, I was startled by the news that Tiger Woods had been in a “serious” ac

Lakers vence o pobre New Jersey Nets

Cesar Bassi — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:15:23 +0000

Algum dia, em algum lugar, o New Jersey Nets irá vencer um jogo. Ontem à noite no Staples Center não era esse dia.

O Lakers venceu o Nets por 106 a 87 e afundou ainda mais a equipe, que agora empatou com o Heat de 88-89 e o Clippers de 99-00 no record de pior começo de temporada da liga, com nenhuma vitória e 17 derrotas.

“Nós sabíamos da seqüência de derrotas deles”, disse Farmar. “Conseguíamos ver no rosto deles, eles queriam de toda maneira vencer. As derrotas estão começando a pagar seu preço. Neste momento eles têm que começar a treinar mais forte, jogar com mais vontade. Todos os times que eles jogarem contra tem que ficar com medo”.

Essa foi a sexta vitória seguida do Lakers. Nessas 6 vitórias, o time está vencendo com uma diferença de 17.7 pontos cada jogo em média e todos marcando quase 100 pontos ou mais por partida.

O time de Los Angeles venceu a partida praticamente no primeiro quarto, quando terminou o quarto vencendo por 27 a 12, acertando 47.4% dos arremessos contra apenas 27.3% do adversário. Kobe marcou 13 pontos neste quarto e liderou o Lakers a mais uma vitória.

No final da partida, Bryant fez 30 pontos, acertando 11 de 17 arremessos de quadra, sendo 5 deles da linha de 3 pontos. Kobe não jogou o último quarto.

Pau Gasol foi outro destaque, terminando com 20 pontos, acertando 8 de 13 arremessos e pegando 9 rebotes. Ele foi o único titular que jogou no último quarto.

Todos os 12 jogadores da equipe jogaram e apenas Morrison não pontuou. Farmar liderou os reservas com 15 pontos e um toco sensacional no final do primeiro quarto.

Brook Lopez foi o melhor do Nets com 26 pontos e 12 rebotes.

Nesses dois últimos jogos seguidos do Lakers, contra o Warriors anteontem e o Nets ontem, o time entrou com muita vontade, jogando uma defesa muito boa, sempre limitando os pontos dos adversários, e um ataque sólido. O resultado? 33 pontos de vantagem contra o Warriors e 19 de vantagem contra o Nets, sendo todos jogos fáceis.

“Nossa defesa está ficando cada vez melhor”, disse Kobe. “Nós estamos treinando duro, e dando muito enfoque na defesa. Nossa energia vem se mantendo consistente, é algo que sabemos que podemos manter”.

O próximo jogo do Lakers será contra o New Orleans Hornets, no Staples Center, terça-feira.

Melhores Momentos:

Parte 1

Parte 2

Fonte: LA Daily News

King James and King Cash

Colby Cosh — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:57:28 +0000

Chris Ballard’s Sports Illustrated column suggesting that LeBron James should sign for the NBA

Next Friday is gonna be HUGE.

zairaamaterasu — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 08:49:10 +0000

Wow… good rainy morning everyone.

Surfacing from another awaken night to catch Lakers on the easiest roll ever (the Nets TRULY don’t resemble a pro team… I won’t waste words on the game cos it was so useless Kobe fouled 5 times just to allow himself two quarters bench time… I’m serious!), I am quietly waiting for tab works here at lab and while I’m on it, I update the blog.

There’s LOTS!!!

From various fields.

First of all, Karim’s will be back here on thursday and I cannot wait. I really am in need of… him. Past Friday at disco it was somehow strange to turn off offers from at least one VERY cute guy (out of 17 who attempted catchin my interest… I also got offerings from two women, which is always flattering to me, I have to admit…) not cos it requested me strenght (I’m such a good girl now, you know…) but just cause I would have really liked some sheet gym. I just hate when I am not allowed it. So Karim better be back and provide his serious (and totally awesomely rated) effort before I get sick about it.

Bitch? Not really. Those who don’t love sex the way I do are simply wrong. Or they just hadn’t any good one in their lives, which is sad.

On the weekend we have stayed quietly at houses, checkin up with the Creek, watchin sports, playing poker and just relaxing.

We need that and I do especially need that cos next weekend is gonna be crazy.

Karim gets back on Thursday: on Friday as soon as work ends (5 pm) we will ride furiously over Turin to get to see MUSE live!!!! At the moment I am just so totally in love (even more than I have always been with them) with their current single, “Undisclosed Desires“. Karim says it’s MY song to his soul. He loves it a lot and keeps whisperin that words and melody to me, which I so adore.

Take a look and open ears to goodness

Now to me that’s ART. Art in music.

Why do I say that?

Cos… Divine Adam yesterday was particularly verbose about these kind of related stuff. They’re back to Vevey (poor angel, it’s gonna be rainy and cold just like here.. just worse… but this time he brought even more crew to back him up preventing him from homesickness, I guess) and as it always happens when he has to chase boredom away, he gets particularly fond of twitter and starts to speak a lot. I LOVE that. His views on things are always challenging to me.

So yesterday he stated that to him music is not – necessarily – art. He went on defining better that he feels uncomfortable with musicians claiming their artistry too openly. And that people deify musicians too much.

While I can agree that lots of selfproclaimed artistry in music is pure garbage, I also disagree about the whole of it NOT being art. He actually surely gives musicians the artist status. Just that he’s VERY selective about that (Prince surely gets his props up). As always he is a peculiar combination of humble and fighting attitude that always surprises me. Just like when he was able to directly address Noah who quoted the famous line “all art is quite useless” to Dorian Gray’s preface. You know how I adore Oscar Wilde. And actually, that preface explains well what I feel about art. If Adam has that in mind guessing about arts and their value, we’re not really far away about concept of artistry.

Sure that we are not.

Slash

Out of the arty debate, another couple of twitters in the weekend made me remember a rumour a dear “metal lover” friend told me about way back in September. He was telling me he heard that Adam would have been featured on the new Slash’s solo album. I remember I was like “yeah, sure…” and just erased that info cos I thought he was kidding me (you know.. metal fans… pop rock music… they truly don’t show appreciation often about their mixing).

WRONG.

That’s happening for real, and I post this reference about the creation of the song cos that’s cute.

I mean… not that I am really shocked after Slash got in Fergie as well in his record and decided to land his guitar to Rihanna’s garbage album, but still, I will love to have another album fullfilled with guests (there’s Chris Cornell… it’s AWESOME!), and he’s undoubtedly a genius guitar player. Then anything Adam sings is like perfect with me so… roll on with the Amazon order (or I might even buy it physically, being in LA by March).

Actually a metal collaboration was lacking from Adam’s resume with musical genres so this is a great fill in. Can’t wait to hear that for sure.

But out of doubts, the record that I truly now wanna hear is M5 next one. I really can’t wait much longer. I’m gonna love 2010.

On the incoming crazy Friday, I forgot to add that after the Muse’s gig we will remain in Turin. We have room booked, and we won’t sleep for 2 reasons: one you guess it (and that’s CORRECT, 110%) while the other is that is again NBA Lakers watch against Miami. No way we will miss it. Yesterday Karim didn’t really see the game cos he was guesting diplomathic people at his parental house, but surely he won’t miss the Heat (or the Hornets, on Tuesday).

So… this is my schedule.

Love my life

Have all a great start of the week.

Daily Lies & Statistics: 0-17 and still going..

Tom Lorenzo — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 08:16:04 +0000

Hey New Jersey, this hurts me more than it hurts you. There comes a point where you actually start r

Tiger Woods: Were You A) Cheating on Your Wife, or B) Shopping for Early Bird Deals?

FRESHisBACK — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:14:46 +0000

This past weekend, Tiger Woods made headlines when he got into an accident outside his home at 2:30 AM Friday morning. In the aftermath, Tiger’s reticence has fueled rumors ranging from infidelity (meeting up with his alleged mistress for Thanksgiving dessert?) to drug use (after all, who crashes their car in their own driveway sober?). Some are even speculating that the injuries he sustained were from his wife, taking out her scorned wife vengeance on him with a golf club.

Personally, I think everyone is reading too much into this. From my point of view, Tiger was simply doing what everyone else was doing in the wee hours post-Thanksgiving: heading out to JC Penney’s early bird Black Friday sale. Those sales started at 3 AM, so Tiger must have been getting a jump start on Christmas shopping. And he simply got distracted when driving-while-coupon-cutting.

That’s it. End of story. There were no mistresses, no crystal meth, no acts of Chris Brown. It’s always great to follow up Thanksgiving binge-eating with some celebrity intrigue, but I’m afraid that nothing can tarnish the squeaky clean image of Tiger Woods.

Then again… if Tiger was looking for some early bird deals on “forgive me” diamond rings (remember Kobe’s $4 million “I’m sorry”), that would do it.

Kobe Bryant To Be Offered 3 Year $91 Million Contract Extension By Lakers

Media Outrage — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:30:21 +0000

Kobe Bryant will soon be offered a nice contract extension to keep him in a Lakers jersey for the near future.

We hear that Lakers owner Jerry Buss is prepared to offer Kobe a $91 million contract extension for 3 years. Let’s see, that would give Kobe more than $30 million a year. Nice!

What-if Cards?- 1996-97 Topps Kobe Bryant

jeremya1um — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:12:33 +0000

Kobe Bryant was selected 13th overall in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets, but was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for Center Vlade Divac. Here’s what Bryant’s Topps rookie card could’ve looked like if the Hornets would’ve kept him.

Playing A Little Catch Up

truth317 — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 20:46:30 +0000

Sorry for the slow (ok…nonexistent) posts over the last few days. Chalk it up to sleep deprivation and the holiday. We had some ideas for posts, but due to the above reasons plus apathy we decided against them. So this is what we’re thinking: what will probably be a long(er) quick hit series of our take on the many, many things we’ve missed. Let the bullet pointing begin.

Retired?

- Allen Iverson to retire…kinda. We’re honestly kinda sad to see AI hang them up, if he actually does. It seems obvious to us that he’s still got something left in the tank, but playing in Memphis wasn’t going to help anybody. Some of his old coaches reportedly want to discuss his future with him, and we’re all for that. If, and this is a huge if, he can get in the right mindset to come off the bench and be a team player, he could be great off the bench for a contender. If he’s actually done, then he’ll go down as one of the best pure scoring guards in NBA history. Points wise, he’s the second highest scoring active player, behind only Shaq (Kobe will likely pass him soon). We’ll remember him as a dominant player, and one of the few guards we recall who could totally take over a game and carry a team (along with Kobe).

- Thanksgiving NFL Action. The Lions did what they’ve recently done on Thanksgiving, and lost. But looking beyond the score, we think Jim Schwartz and the Lions might be building something there. The foundation is there. Playoffs in two to three years. The second game of the day reminded Raider fans everywhere that Bruce Gradkowski, is not that good, although he certainly is better than JaMarcus Russell (not that hard). The Cowboys looked good, but not great in winning an easy game. The last NFL game of the day, seen by approximately 9 people because it was on the NFL Network, provided a lot of insight into who both teams were, and are. The Giants have no idea who they are, as they appear to be a power running team who can’t run the ball – it looks to us like Brandon Jacobs aged 10+ years over the offseason. We’re not exactly sure what to make of the Broncos – the passing game looked good against the Giants secondary, but who hasn’t? The running game was solid if unspectacular (more carries for Knowshon please). Defense looked good, in shutting down a talented, in enigmatic Giants offense. We like them to finish up at 10-6 (7-4 now, with two left against KC and one against OAK)

We Only Talk About Stafford to Post Pictures Like These...

- College Football Rivalry Weekend. A lot of these games are close, which is why we love this weekend, even if the games aren’t great on paper. #3Texas and Texas A&M staged a classic shootout that prevented our nap on Thanksgiving. Auburn and #2 Alabama went down to the end yesterday afternoon. West Virginia took down highly ranked Pittsburgh in The Backyard Brawl. Boise State and Nevada also kept us up late last night (we’re suckers for blue turf and some pistol offense). Right now we’re watching South Carolina try and hang on at home against a vastly superior Clemson team (ranked #18) [UPDATE: South Carolina just rubbed it in a little, throwing a TD pass on 4th and goal with 2:40 left, now 34-17]. Mississippi State is taking #25 Ole Miss behind the woodshed in the Egg Bowl. Oklahoma is beating #12 Oklahoma State in the Bedlam game, which we’re all for since it ups Boise’s chances for a BCS game. Coming up later today and tonight, #1 Florida hosts Florida State and in the best named game of the year, #7 Georgia Tech hosts Georgia (game is called “Clean, Old Fashioned Hate” – just better than the “Holy War” between BYU and Utah – also played today). These games make college football, and we try to watch them all.

The Iron Bowl

- The Heisman Trophy. We’ve debated doing a full post on this, but we’ll shorten it up to get it in this post. We think Mark Ingram might have cost himself the Trophy with his game against Auburn yesterday(16 carries for 30 yards). Colt McCoy, on the other hand might have won it for himself with a dominant performance on Thursday night (470 total yards, 5 TDs). We personally don’t think that Tebow belongs in the conversation based on numbers, but he’ll be invited at the very least – based on his leadership, his ministry, and his ability to yell in the locker room. We’d vote for John Nesbitt (QB – Georgia Tech), Ndamakong Suh (DT – Nebraska), or CJ Spiller (RB – Clemson) before Tebow, and maybe one of them will manage to pull an invite.

We think we’ve covered most of what we missed. We’ll have our NFL picks on Tuesday, along with a preview of next weekend’s “championship weekend” in college football. We’ll also try to get up some College Basketball Stuff, as we’ve totally neglected that so far.

CP3 e Scott podem parar no Lakers?

Cesar Bassi — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 14:10:45 +0000

O New Orleans Hornets recentemente mandou embora o técnico Byron Scott. Isso pode ter sido algo que vai favorecer o Lakers no futuro. Como?

Chris Paul, 24 anos, é o jogador franquia de New Orleans e ele está entrando no primeiro ano de um contrato que lhe irá pagar 68 milhões de dólares, logo ele é intocável. Porém o Hornets cometeu um grande erro. Eles mandaram Scott, que sempre foi muito próximo a Paul, embora sem antes consultar o jogador. CP3 ficou muito irritado, a ponto de comentar com amigos que ele sairia da equipe quando seu contrato terminar, no final da temporada 2011-2012.

Se Chris Paul realmente quiser sair, o Hornets será forçado a fazer uma troca antes de o contrato expirar, para não sair em um prejuízo maior.

CP3 não tem como controlar para onde vai, mas na hipótese será 2012. Até lá já é muito tempo para Phil Jackson ter se aposentado e outro técnico entrar em seu lugar. Byron Scott.

Scott se considera um Laker por toda a vida, já que jogou pela equipe na época que era jogador. E ele continua sendo amigo de Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson e Jerry Buss.

Desde que foi mandado embora, o ex-técnico do Hornets já recebeu vários telefonemas de Kobe e outras pessoas ligadas ao Lakers, todos mostrando grande apoio a Scott.

E aonde você acha que Chris Paul vai querer jogar sabendo que Scott está treinando o Lakers? Mesmo que na troca ele não venha para Los Angeles, Scott ainda pode influenciar o armador a assinar com o time quando acabar seu contrato.

Tudo que foi dito aqui é apenas suposição e depende de muitos fatores, mas é possível. Talvez mais possível que o boato antes solto de que Lebron James poderia parar em Los Angeles.

Fonte: OC Register

Swept by the best, swept by the rest: Season on the sofa Knicks week five review

sportsbloke42 — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:50:06 +0000

Having the wind knocked out of their sails in a heartbreaking home loss proved to be the worst possible preparation for the Knicks’ West Coast swing against the Lakers, Kings and Nuggets.

Facing Boston at home after two successive wins (likely to be the longest such streak of the season), the Knicks fell to a Kevin Garnett buzzer beater in overtime that cost them a victory they probably deserved. It was a cruel ending for Mike D’Antoni’s men who, after falling behind in the first quarter, rode the hot hands of Al Harrington and Nate Robinson (in his best performance of the season to date) to lead by five going into the fourth quarter. The Garden crowd began to come alive.

With Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett out of sorts, the Celtics scoring load fell on the shoulders of Paul Pierce who, with 33 points, revived his team as the Knicks struggled to score down the stretch. The lack of a reliable fourth quarter threat probably had some wishing Donnie Walsh had signed up Allen Iverson just days before.

Eddy Curry made his first home apperance since early 2008 and struggled thanks to his colleagues’ collective inability to throw him good entry passes into the post. In his 15 minutes on the court, Curry battled down low with Garnett and Kendrick Perkins and his frustration boiled over late in the fourth quarter when, battling for a rebound, he launched a cheapshot push-cum-punch that sent Rajan Rondo sprawling. The resulting flagrant foul caused a three-point swing that fuelled the Celtics’ hope.

With time running out in OT and the score tied at 105, David Lee rotated from KG to double team Pierce, denying Boston’s clutch shooter the opportunity to finish the game. Pierce passed to Garnett who, limping down the court, had an open shot from the top of the key thanks to Harrington’s failure to rotate onto him. Garnett was 3 of 14 for the game but didn’t think twice about taking the shot. He sank the jumper as time expired to inflict a cruel loss on the Knicks, their seventh home defeat in 8 games.

Knowing how brittle this Knicks team can be, the body blow delivered by Garnett had fans immediately fearing the worse for the next game, a road clash with the defedning champion Lakers. To make matters worse, a traffic gridlock meant the team arrived at Staples just 55 minutes before tip-off. In spite of this disruption, the Knicks were competitive for the first half. Sadly, they disintegrated in the third quarter, surrendering 17 points without reply and trailing at one stage by 25 points, before fighting back to semi-respectability after Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant had left the game in the fourth, eventually losing 100-90.

Outrebounded 60 to 36, the Knicks had no answer to a superior Lakers team. Bryant scored 34 points in an efficient 14-for-20 performance from the field. Gasol added 11 points and 16 boards. All five Lakers starters scored in double figures. In contrast, the all-to-familiar shooting woes from Wilson Chandler (5 for 20) and Chris Duhon (2 for 9 including 0 for 5 from beyond the arc) contributed to the Knicks predictable downfall.

One night later, facing a Sacramento Kings team without their star scorer Kevin Martin, the Knicks – in theory, at least, had their best opportunity to earn a W. In typical Knicks fashion, they failed to take it. Playing their fourth game in five days, the Knicks produced a thoroughly listless performance in which they were lit up from downtown and at the rim by the unheralded Donte Greene.

Outscored 19-6 in the opening minutes, the Knicks were unable to make a serious run. They were ragged and, at times, downright lazy. Starting the second half with a 10 point deficit, Nate Robinson allowed Greene to go back door for two and then drain an uncontested three on the Kings’ next possession. Mike D’Antoni immediately called for time and chewed out Robinson like a father who’d just found out his son had disgraced his family name. The Knicks lost 111-97 with a whimper.

I’m willing to bet NBA neutrals allergic to defence really enjoyed the final game of the Knicks’ West Coast road trip in Denver. It was a high-scoring D-free affair and D’Antoni’s men showed great heart in hanging in the game as Carmelo Anthony let fly with a 50-point barrage (a career high) and Chauncey Billups added a further 32.

Buoyed by Al Harrington’s 41 points off the bench and a 23 and 10 effort from David Lee, the Knicks repeatedly dragged themselves back into the game thanks, in part, to some dubious ticky-tack fouls called on Melo and Kenyon Martin. They led 111-110 with three and a half minutes to go and, even when they fell behind by eight points, fought back in the final seconds and gave themselves a chance to send the game to overtime.

With four seconds remaining, JR Smith missed one of two free throws. The score stood at 128-125. With no timeouts, there was nothing D’Antoni could do except to rely on his players. Characteristically, they struggled to inbound the ball, advanced it up the court in a panicked fashion and ultimately failed to get a shot off before the buzzer. Comparing this haphazard and futile play with Melo’s ice-cold execution down the stretch shows exactly what the Knicks are missing. Anthony may lack the flash of Lebron but he has matured into NBA’s purest hoops classicist, always making the right passes and shots. It was a pleasure to watch him at his best.

As for the Knicks, their performance against the Nuggets highlights their plight. Even when they play close to their best, they still lose. Whether they go with rookies or with experience, they still lose. In a week that yielded four defeats from four games in which they fell to a miserable 3 and 13, the fact that the team’s futility can’t lead to a high pick in the 2010 draft once again instilled depression into the team’s long-suffering fans.

Its ALL STAR VOTING TIME!

ibleedpurplengold — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:18:53 +0000

Click here to vote for your favorite Lakers! My goal is to get all of our starters in the AllStar game!

LA Laker Star Ron Artest And His Sister Under Investigation For Welfare Fraud

jerrybrice — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:47:25 +0000

Controversial Los Angeles Laker star Ron Artest is caught up in an investigation of welfare fraud against his sister Latoya Holmes-Ivey.

Police and housing authorities raided the home Latoya Holmes-Ivey and her three children rent at 336 E. Burgess Ave. Wednesday morning.

Holmes-Ivey is suspected of receiving federal housing assistance, as well as other social services, while receiving financial assistance from her millionaire basketball/rapper brother, and not reporting it.

That is welfare fraud, and is a criminal offense.

A tip came from a former CPA that handled Ron Artest financial affairs a Tennessee-based accounting firm called TriStar Sports and Entertainment.

According to court documents, the ex-employee sent an e-mail to the Housing and Urban Development Office in Indianapolis claiming that TriStar, under the direction of Artest, was using one of his bank accounts to pay all of Holmes-Ivey’s bills.

The man requested to remain anonymous, saying that he could not, in good conscience, fail to report such an ethics infraction.

Ron Artest may want to check the wording in that non-disclosure form that I am certain the former accountant signed, as the accounting firm’s reputation has got to be destroyed by this leak. Confidentiality between their clients is key to their business.

If the former CPA did sign a non-disclosure form, then his disclosure of this information, even if it is to be found true, will be admissible in court, and will be the reason that all charges will be dropped.

Housing authorities said that if the allegations are true, Holmes-Ivey would have used at least $34,000 in taxpayer money she was not entitled to. According to court documents, the ex-employee sent an e-mail to the Housing and Urban Development Office in Indianapolis claiming that TriStar, under the direction of Artest, was using one of his bank accounts to pay all of Holmes-Ivey’s bills.

The man requested to remain anonymous, saying that he could not, in good conscience, fail to report such an ethics infraction.

Housing authorities said that if the allegations are true, Holmes-Ivey would have used at least $34,000 in taxpayer money she was not entitled to.

Note that the investigation and any future charges will be against Holmes-Ivey and NOT Ron Artest. It is the responsibility of the benefactor of Federal aide to report any income or gifts to the Welfare department so they can determine if the individual is actually in need at that time.

The neighbors of Holmes-Ivey said they were skeptical of her, because she used to brag about who her brother was.

“I never understood why she was on assistance because of that, when she told me he was her brother,” said Marcia Taylor. “The people who do need the assistance don’t get it, when the people who don’t need it get a lot of time.”

None of the parties involved were available for any further comments on this matter.

Follow the story here, as well as this trusted source, The Indychannel.com…

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/21726762/detail.html

Welcome To The Kobe Bryant Show

tupakka — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:24:07 +0000

E’ un numero da circo, di quelli che tentano gli Harlem; non si può e non si deve giudicare un

Mi top10 de la semana (20-11/27-11)

Marc Noguera — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:21:46 +0000

Monta Ellis está en un gran momento de forma

1. – Monta Ellis (Golden State Warriors): La estrella de los Warriors vuelve a su máximo nivel. Una sensacional semana con 3 partidos en los cuales el jugador ha machacado el aro rival a base de puntos: 34, 37 y 42 puntos ha conseguido en los partidos de esta semana. Ha ayudado al equipo a cosechar 2 victorias en 3 partidos y le da alas al conjunto de la conferencia Oeste.

2. – Vince Carter (Orlando Magic): Se ha convertido en el referente ofensivo de los Magic. En los momentos finales del partido Vince tiene el balón en sus manos en todo momento, y con sus puntos decisivos está ayudando a dejar al equipo en lo más alto de la clasificación de la conferencia Este.

3. – José Manuel Calderón (Toronto Raptors): Buena semana para el español, que recupera poco a poco su nivel de juego. La vuelta después de la lesión ha sido dura, pero ya volvemos a gozar con Míster Catering.

4. – Antawn Jamison (Washington Wizards): El ala-pívot del equipo de la capital de los Estados Unidos ha reaparecido después de lesionarse en pretemporada. Y lo hace de la mejor forma posible: 25 puntos y 10 rebotes de media hacen que vuelva a la liga un pilar esencial para los Wizards.

5. – Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers): Justo después de la vuelta de Pau Gasol al equipo no se le ocurre nada mejor que hacer barbaridades dentro de la pista, Showtime en estado puro los últimos partidos de Lakers. El escolta angelino nos deleitó con un canastón por detrás del tablero al más puro estilo Larry Bird.

6. – Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics): Esta semana le toca a Pierce salirse en el equipo de Boston. Y es que el big three (si podemos considerar que sólo sean tres aún) tiene muchas posibilidades, y aunque no puedan estar los tres en la fiesta siempre hay uno de ellos que no falta nunca a la cita.

7. – Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks): El base de los Mavs ya es el segundo máximo asistente en la historia de la NBA. Recientemente ha superado a Mark Jackson en la carrera por ser el mejor asistente de la liga. Lleva 10.300, pero lo tiene muy difícil para llegar a las 15.806 del maestro del pick and roll John Stockton.

Ilyasova comienza a despuntar en la NBA

8. – Ersan Ilyasova (Milwaukee Bucks): El ex del FC Barcelona se ha consolidado en el quinteto titular de los Bucks durante esta semana. Y no puede ser menos, ya que con sus buenos partidos y con su trabajo ha podido conseguir su primer doble-doble en la liga.

9. – Tyreke Evans (Sacramento Kings): Espectacular lo de los Kings que siguen sin su referente ofensivo Kevin Martin pero han encontrado en el novato Evans un gran sustituto. Bordeando el triple-doble en los 3 partidos disputados esta semana sigue luchando por el título de rookie del año.

10. – Sergio Rodríguez (Sacramento Kings): Por fin, Sergio está disponiendo de esos minutos que tanto pide para poder demostrar lo que realmente vale. Dos últimos partidos por encima de los 10 puntitos y dando juego a sus compañeros. También empezamos a volver a ver el mejor mojo picón, esperemos que siga así.

Dwayne Wade; Flash or new age Superman?

Andrew Macaluso — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:17:08 +0000

After a couple injuries, Dwade reclaimed top 5 status after his revival in the 08′ Olympics. His 09′ season was incredible, he carried Miami on his back and statistically had the best year by a 2 guard since Michael Jordan. I don’t think there’s a better guard in the league with a better blend of skills. He scores and creates for others, he’s a great defender, he rises to the occasion when it matters, and he’s in the line between making everyone around him better and it’s time for me to take over. The difference between Dwade and Kobe is that the Lakers never liked playing with Kobe until 08′ but everyone loved playing with Dwade since high school.

I remember in 2006, Dwade averaged 39 ppg, 8 rpg, and 58 of 73 free throws in just the final four games of the NBA finals. In that span, Wade turned into the single best player in the league and did the opposite of Kobe, which was balancing the line between deferring teammates and taking over games. I call Wades final performance better than any of Michael Jordan’s, simply because Jordan never dominated a finals game to that extent.

Before anyone reading this starts flipping out, no where did I say that Wade was better than Jordan. Wade plays in an era of no hand checking or hard fouls. I do have to say that the referees won Miami the title in 06′, especially the famous Tim Donaghy. I’m not going to make any excuses, other than if Dirk would’ve made those free throws, Dwade would still be in the same category of my boy Carmelo.

Another thing that shocks me is Wades ability to block shots. Note to all the Centers in the league: If you see Dwade coming don’t even try it. He’s only 6′4, but he has been throwing it down on big men in embarrassing fashion since he entered the league. He might not have the flash of other dunkers with their windmills or 360’s, but very few 6′4 and under can throw it down like him.

Is it me or do the Heat and the Bulls have some sort of rivalry going? Maybe it’s because that’s Wades city where he should be playing. The best game i’ve ever seen Wade play came on March 9th 2009 against Chicago. Miami trailed most of the first half until Wade kicked in his beast mode. He had 48 points and 12 assists along with a 30 ft 3 pointer that gave Miami the lead 54-52. At the end of the third quarter, Miami had a 10 point lead until Ben Gordon and Derrick Rose brought the Bulls back 104-101. Wade hit a clutch 3 that took them into overtime, and into double overtime. Tied at 127 a piece, with 4 seconds left, Wade stole the ball and hit a game winning floater and left his home town with a 130-127 win.

I don’t care what people say, Wade is a better player, and a better 2 guard than Kobe Bryant. He’s the only person i’ve seen take punishment on the court every single night like Allen Iverson. The only difference is Wade isn’t a freak of nature.

Champ's Power Rankings: Week 4

The Champ — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 05:31:39 +0000

Playoffs?

oh, hey! sorry for my tardiness but I got em’

1. Los Angeles Lakers: OK, an early home schedule is good and all, and Pau Gasol is back and doing work, and everythings clicking. But, there is no but, the Lakers are the number one team in the league. However, I’m not sure Kobe’s increased scoring is a good sign or not.

2. Atlanta Hawks: Disclaimer: Yes I am writing this after watching their cold effort in their falling to the Orlando Magic, at home. But coming into Monday this team was still on fire, yes they deserve to be here now. Next week? watch out.

3. Denver Nuggets: Coming into the season I was concerned about Denver. Yes, drafting Ty Lawson is a HUGE plus, but they made no offseason moves to improve the team. But then, Carmello Anthony stepped up, he finally is dishing out points and rebounds like a true superstar. Tracking Anthony’s development at a recent trip to the pool really sold me on the Nuggets, they’ve come a long way. They had Allen Iverson around this time last year.

4. Phoenix Suns: Have the Suns winning become bland again? reference my analysis last week because nothing has changed for Steve Nash, Amare Stoudamire and Company.

5. Orlando Magic: Vince Carter takes bad shots. Sometimes. Now Dwight Howard’s lobbying Stan Van to ease up. They aren’t exactly dominating the league. Tough loss to Miami, questionable call? Don’t ask Pietrus.

6. Cleveland Cavaliers: My Cavs are doing alright. Not dominating, not losing. I also feel LeBron has not exactly turned it on yet. The win against Orlando was the most intense of the season, compared to the lackadaisical effort, a win at least, against the Pistons. The Shaq injury does hurt the depth of the team. And JJ Hickson, well expect a bromance post pretty soon from the Champ.

7. Boston Celtics: When did the Celts get so cold? Now theyre barely beating teams like Philly, Minnesota, and New Jersey. OK. No real significant injury problems. Is Iverson the answer? reference Stephon Marbury.

8. Dallas Mavericks: What’s up with past MVP’s having great seasons? Dirk, Steve Nash, Hey even AI’s back in the news. Oh well, the Mavs look alright I guess. West elite? no. Top Four seed? yes.

9. Portland Trailblazers: The three guard combo of Blake, Miller, and Roy was interesting, but maybe the Blazers weren’t as potent. Although I feel that might be a good matchup issue in the playoffs so giving those three guys time on the floor together is a good thing in my eyes. Greg Oden’s coming around too, good for him.

10. Milwaukee Bucks: OK, the Bucks can stay. Brandon Jennings.

(thats all I have to say about the Bucks)

Missing from Last Week:

Miami Heat: Wait until next week. The win over Orlando was huge, and the Champ, maybe just a little bit is starting to finally be won over by Michael Beasley, not for the game winning dunk though, although that helped a little bit.

Allen Iverson; His own worst enemy.

Andrew Macaluso — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:24:15 +0000

I remember as a kid everyone talked about Jordan, Reggie Miller, Kobe and Shaq, I talked about Allen Iverson. He was my favorite player in the NBA until Carmelo came along. I remember in 2001 when I went to the Bulls/Sixers game at the United Center. You could watch Iverson on TV and say wow after every play, but watching him play in person was just incredible.

He’s listed at 6′0 but he isn’t taller than 5′10. He took implausible angles that couldnt be seen even as they unfolded, and drained an insane amount of lay ups and floaters in the lane. He had a knack for going 9-24 but always hit the biggest shots of the game. He always played with the ” Fuck You ” state of mind that only Garnett and Kobe could probably match. For 13 years, the most intimidating player in the league wasn’t even taller than me.

Iverson’s whole career has been negatively criticized by the media. They didn’t understand him and probably never wanted too. They always talked bout his appearance and his controversial interview known as ” Practice “. The media never got the thrill of watching him in person, only the negative parts about him. He was a coach killer, monopolized the basketball, never went to practice and couldn’t change his game to make his teammates better.

The case against Iverson was he’s a ball hog (averaged 23 + shots in 7 straight seasons) he’s a terrible 3 point shooter, (31% career). He turned the ball over too much (3.8 turnovers per game, 4 seasons with 4.4 or higher). He was a 2 guard in a point guards body, (Coaches had to match players with a tall point guard to keep Iverson from defending bigger 2 guards).

He’s one of the most fascinating athletes in the history of sports. A legendary partier, a devoted family man, a loyal teammate who shot too much, a featherweight who walked around like a heavyweight. Fifty years from now I hope people realize that Iverson had better balance than everyone else, he was faster and more coordinated. He was the best football player in Virginia history, but in reality he would’ve dominated in any sport he would’ve played.

Allen wrecked his body on the court every night, and he deserves a ton of credit for dragging a mediocre Sixers team to the finals in 2001, especially when so many other scoring machines failed to do so. He played with swagger, he believed they could win, he killed himself. He always played ferocious, he had a switch he could turn on at anytime and just completely destroy you.

At his peak he played with a hostile, blood thirsty state of mind that no one else had. He was relentless, like a Tornado and only stopped when he chose to. Could you win a title with Iverson was your best player and you didn’t have a big man? Probably not. Could you win a title with Iverson as your second best player and your crunch time scorer? Possibly. Would you pay to see him in his prime? Hell yes.

He’s retired now, but I don’t think he will stay that way for long. He still has a lot left in the tank and just needs to find the right team to take a chance. Til this day Iverson is the most hard ass player in NBA history. Don’t believe me? Go to YouTube and watch him pull the crossover, drain the jumper, and step over Tyronn Lue.