In listening to a recent podcst of “The Basketball Jones” (http://thebasketballjones.net/), I got to thinking, “Does the NBA have any more villains?”. I grew up in the era of NBA Superstardom when the Jordan’s, Barkley’s, Payton’s, Ewing’s, and Olajuwon’s dominated the game. Prior to the Magic-Bird era the NBA was barely mainstream, scarcely live on television and only on the tongues of basketball purest. While Magic & Bird brought the NBA into the homes of North America, the next generation threw it in their backpack and brought the game to the world. But then, what aspects of their game/personality made those player’s as big as they were to become?

Today’s NBA is filled with the glitz and glamour of prom night. Bling bling, bottles of Patron, scandidly-clad women, traits synonymous with the pop culture of basketball. Everyone wants to be liked and everyone wants to be viewed in a positive light. This has proven to be the opposite to the NBA’s heyday. For every superstar in the NBA, there was its equal anti-thesis; the raison d’être for each superstar. In the 80’s Bird and the Celtics had the Magic and his Lakers. Now enter Michael Jordan, the torch bearer of the superstar era. Jordan came out of college as a high flyer, a blue chip prospect, yet he was not a winner he was to become. Content to be the league’s most viable athlete, Jordan did not acquire his drive until the Pistons. The Bad Boy Pistons, the model of NBA villainy, composed by such reviled players as Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahorn, Vinnie Johnson, and Dennis Rodman. The Pistons revelled in their status as the Bad Boys of the NBA, they provided the anti-thesis to Jordan’s Bulls. And regardless of their villainy status, they were well respected for their skills and abilities. Fast forward to the early 90’s and enter Pat Riley’s Knicks. Again a bruising, intimidating team, best described gritty inelegant basketball. The greatest moments of the NBA during the 90’s was the battle between the Bulls and Knicks, series which saw the rise of Pippen’s true superstardom and had Jordan protecting his teammates, as if he felt they were important. These series gave you the memories of Jordan’s backdoor facial on Ewing, Stark’s response, and high intensity moments where violence seemed all but imminent. Baseball came a knocking, Jordan bolted, enter the MSG’s most hated sports figure of all-time: Reggie Miller. Nothing could compare to Reggie, the Knick killer. The hatred spewing from the fans, and even Spike, which Miller not only basked in but strived for, is the best description of pure emotion in the arena of athletics. This arena made Miller an iconic sports villain.

During this era, each superstar sought to cement their position by proving they were better than the next. They played with swagger, emotion, and a passion which is seldomly found in today’s NBA.  One on one match-ups of the game’s best delivered thrilling moments from Hakeem and Robinson, Jordan and Starks, Zo and Ewing, to Malone and Rodman. The NBA never lacked excitement. Now fast forward to today, which NBA player can you think of that you truly revile, who takes on the moniker of being “the Villain”. Which player, regardless of his negative aspects, can you truly respect. The NBA is chuck full of player’s that one can only feel revolted at their sight, but their status as a superstar villain is far from factual.  Everyone plays nice, shaking hands at center court, joking and kidding around as if they were on a boat. God forbid Jordan would play nice with Ewing, or even Clyde (who Jordan consequently broke mentally and physically). The first dream team played well together, but back in the normalcy of the NBA season, these players despised eachother. How much better would the league be if Kobe and LeBron truly got under eachother’s skin? Or what if Wade and Kobe’s rivalry was more than a mere statistical competition?  The Celtics almost got it right, but they are too old to sustain the crown. Imagine every time LeBron or Kobe stepped into MSG, they would be greeted by a chorus of boos and not swooning, which is what they are currently greeted with.  Jordan’s greatness gave you something to hate, he was not a likeable human being, the prototypical competitor who rather crush you then befriend you.

One can argue Artest and the “Malice at the Palace” destroyed all possibility of this villain culture, but how fun was it to hate Artest. How much fun was it to hate Vlade and his flopping? It was great, I loved it. I just wish someone would carry the mantle of the villain. Vince Carter would have been a prime candidate, but his drive isn’t there. My vote for the league’s next villain: LeBron James. He already has been testing the waters with his recent spat with Noah over his celebratory dancing. If LeBron ever wants to be in the same class of Jordan and separate himself from everyone else, he will have to keep his dancing shoes on and strive to be the NBAs’ only villain in a sea of poppers.

Based on the way that the Cavs play against sub .500 teams, last night’s result was no surprise. They went up against the 8-12 Grizzlies who are actually doing good as of late. They started 1-8 and went 7-4 up to last night. Five of the six teams that the Cavs have lost to this year have sub .500 records. The fans knew that the Cavs would face a tough opponent in the Grizzlies, but apparently the team didn’t.

As mentioned above the Grizzlies have turned their season around by going 7-4 after a terrible start. They have the youngest team in the league and it showed by how they started the season. However, once they learned to play together they were successful. Under second year guard O.J. Mayo they are climbing out of the NBA cellar and into playoff contention. The Nets forcefully shoved them out of the cellar. They also get great numbers from Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph. The three combined for 81 of the Grizzlies 111 points last night.

As usual the Cavs came out firing and had a great first quarter scoring 31 points. Lebron had three dunks in the first few minutes of the game. They continued in the second quarter and at halftime had an 11 point lead. This game turned out to be a story of two halves (and overtime).

The Cavs had one of their signature third quarters. The one where they don’t show up in the first half and let the other team get right back into the game. At the end of the quarter they were only up by two and this is not a good thing against a young team like the Grizzlies who play off of momentum. Also because they had their biggest crowd of the year show up last night.

In the fourth the teams traded baskets for most of the time. Then with 18 seconds left and the Cavs up by two they had a lapse of concentration on defense. They let Rudy Gay drive right to the hoop and make an easy lay-up. This is ok because we have Lebron to save the day. Not this time. Lebron had the ball in his hands for the last 18 seconds and could not even get a shot off. He drove with less than 3 seconds left and lost control of the ball. Time quickly expired. In overtime the Cavs found themselves down by 4 with less than 2 minutes left. Lebron changed that by hitting a 3 and making it a one point game. With 14 seconds left the Cavs once again found themselves down, this time by 2. Mr. Clutch Lebron made two free throws. Unfortunately, the Cavs let another easy basket to be made by the Grizzlies. This time it was and OSU alumni, if one year at the school counts, Mike Conley who drove right to the hoop. Lebron came down for the game winner but came up way short. The Cavs fell to 15-6 on the year which is not too bad, but for us as fans we are not accustomed to seeing them lost that often. When the Cavs get Jamario back and Leon Powe on the team things will change. If they can do this good without them imagine the team with these two. For any one who cares, Lebron did have 43 points last night.

This is the best time of the season, with great basketball in full swing with both the NBA and college basketball. It is also a great betting time of the year because sportsbooks are all competing for your business so they have some of the best bonuses and specials just for you! I have found two very special ones that you need totake advantage of now.

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FREE NBA SPORTS BETTING PICK FOR WEDNESDAY

Cleveland @ Houston

Lebron James flies into Houston

The Cavs come to Houston and life is always tough when you take to the road in Texas. The Rockets know how to play at home and always step it up defensively. The Rockets are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. Eastern Conference and 4-0 ATS in the last four games as a dog. The Cavaliers are 2-8 ATS in the last 10 meetings and 0-5 ATS in the last 5 meetings in Houston. Take the Rockets and the points.

Houston +3

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OK ok ok….i think we have hit a new low on reality tv. For some reason, someone woke up in the morning and said “oh boy, i got a bright idea. I think i would make a reality TV show about nba wives. I am a genius”. I will give you 20 bonus points if you cold guess what channel its on…yes people..VH1..smh

what could they possibly talk about.
ok, time to calm down….wooosah…..So its gonna be an 8 episode half hour series about the lives of NBA player wives and girlfriend. I hope we see some fighting in this reality show…atleast that would be a little more action than on the basketball court…and no refs to call a foul. .
My Prediciton…its a show that would show the fab life of the nba wives and then some snippets to make it look like they are really having a hard time…

The Packers play tonight on MNF which meant yesterday, all eyes in Wisconsin were on the Bucks. It did not take them much time to impress their fans. They jumped out to a quick 11-0 lead and looked like they would not miss a shot. Too bad they couldn’t keep it up.

After the teams exchanged scores for a few minutes the Cavs took over. After Ersan Ilyasova’s two point score with 4:35 left in the first quarter, the Bucks would not score again for almost twelve minutes. The Cavs took advantage of the Bucks’ cold streak by scoring 29 straight points. The highlight of this run was Delonte West who scored 12 straight off the bench with two and one’s. The bench, especially Lebron, was loving this. The whole team is pulling for Delonte who is struggling to overcome his illness and get his head back in the right place. The Bucks did manage to score in the last half of the second quarter. They put 17 on the board in the last six minutes but the Cavs scored 31. This gave the Cavs a 52-33 lead at halftime.

Besides the obvious difference is points, the stats do not really show that the Cavs dominated the game. Bucks standout rookie Brandon Jennings had 24 and Hakim Warrick added 11. The Cavs’ leading scorer was no other than Delonte with 21 points. However, all of the Cavs starters had at least 8 points which gives them more balance in the scoring. The Cavs had 7 more turnovers than the Bucks but it did not factor into the outcome.

If you were watching the game closely then you heard that obnoxious horn in the background of the game. That came from the section of seats that Andrew Bogut paid for. He wanted to have a section that created a college type atmosphere. All I can say is that I feel bad for the people who sit near the section. Luckily, the section got realllly quiet during the Cavs’ 29-0 run.

I’m an avid supporter of mostly anything that has anything to do with Breast Cancer because alot of my friends have had family members fall victim to the disease and I love Nike(undoubtedly). So when I first heard of the Think Pink/Box Out Breast Cancer Campaign, I was thrilled that Nike is actually doing something proactive and positive. They will be putting out shoes with Pink themes and some proceeds(not sure exactly how much) will go to Breast Cancer Research. There is a rumor that there might be a pair of pink Foamposites wandering around somewhere but who knows, this is a photoshop that BPtheOwner over at Niketalk.com did. if you see em let me kno bruh. These the pair of Air Max Lebron VII pe’s and the Nike Air Kobe IV’s.

via: HypeBeast http://hypebeast.com/2009/12/nike-basketball-lebron-james-vii-pink/

LeBron James is a six-foot-eight gift from the basketball heavens. He was the undisputed finest high school player in America. He was the one NBA scouts drooled over, corporations dreamed of, event promoters begged for, and now fans clamor after. Never before had a high school basketball player been so highly touted or an eighteen-year-old athlete been the subject of such fascination. Maybe no basketball player in the world has had that level of attention. King James: Believe the Hype. I believe people should read this book if they are interested in a deeper understanding on how LeBron James came to be the superior athlete that he is today, then this is the book you need to read for that knowledge.

One of my favorite things about the book is the way the author tells about his life one piece at a time. It was almost like he was their watching the hold time from of above and he never missed a step. He told about his struggles and how his mom thought about all of what he was going through and how he felt about things. He had a lot on his mind. He didn’t really know what he wanted to do because there were a lot of choices. He had so many options of doing, so many different things. That would have changed his life forever.

Another one of my favorite things about the book is the author’s style. It was as if he was telling you about LeBron’s life like it was two of him, because no one person can hone this kind of natural ability for a game so great. He tells us of his love for the game and the countless nights he put everything he had into being the best he could at with what he did. His Junior year of High School He got Ohio All-state honors for football as well as basketball.

In Conclusion, I believe this is a great book. I would recommend this to anyone who has a love for Basketball or enjoys whatever it is that they do. This book reminds me of The Magic Johnson story. People would like this book because its really good it very inciting on LeBron life.

Looks like Puppet LeBron and Puppet Kobe are back again this season.

Last season ended with Puppet Kobe celebrating his fourth cookie while Puppet LeBron spent time at home with Lil’ Dez.

This season begins with the MVPuppets arguing over the age-old question: who would win in a fight between a lion and a black mamba?

Wasn’t cool watching the Gators lose, but Tim Tebow shows how to be a good sport (even though he cried). Maybe Lebron should learn something from him. Check out both vids:

Great NFL Football, free picks, and great bonuses!

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NFL Free Picks on Tap for Sunday

Tony Romo and the Cowboys take on the Giants

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Saints @ Redskins

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NFL Free Sports Betting Pick

SF @ Seattle

If Seattle is going to make the playoffs or play a role in how the west is won they need to win this game. They have one of the best home field advantages in the NFL and will be glad to be home after a long road trip. Seattle has been a betting bonanza at Qwest Field after Thanksgiving, cashing at a 7-0-1 clip. Seattle will thrive off that last win in St. Louis and take it to the 49ers in a big win at home.

Seattle -1

The Cavs were having a great time before and after the game. Joakim Noah was not. Lebron had the whole dancing last night in their revenge win over the Bulls. Lebron’s dancing only angered one person and that was Noah. When Lebron was shooting free throws late in the game, Noah decided to trash talk him from the bench. Lebron gave him a quick look and knocked down the shot. He then walked over to the bench but it was quickly broken up by Z. Noah complained that Lebron was rubbing it in to the Bulls. If the Bulls would have shown up in the third quarter, it would not be an issue. They were outscored by 14 by the Cavs and that gave the Cavs control for the rest of the game.

The first and second half were two different games. At halftime it was 47-46 Cavs and they had 11 turnovers. Lebron was clearly upset and got off the court quickly. Whatever happened in the locker room worked. The Cavs did not turn the ball over once in the second half and outscored the Bulls by 13. Lebron flirted with a triple double with 21 points, 11 assists, and 6 rebounds. Mo and Boobie each had 15 while Varejao added 10 points. Rookie Taj Gibson led the Bulls with 14 points but it was not enough on breast cancer awareness night.

Delonte West played for five minutes with no points last night. The announcers on Espn said that Coach Brown told them that Delonte was having a bad day with his illness. Brown should have just had him be inactive so he could rest and get better. However, basketball might be the only thing that makes him better.

Late last season the LeBrons were busy spoofing Heineken ads, and early this season they’re out making Michael Jackson compilations. Why can’t our team show some character, and more importantly, win some games like the Cavs? Love the cameos from a pair of ex-Raptors, though…

I think this video here makes Shaq coming to Cleveland worth it, although Shaq had a small role. From what King James says, I’m assuming this played before they played the Pheonix Suns. It definitely paid off, as the Cavs won the game. Have a laugh:

Free Sports Betting Picks for Championship Football Saturday!

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Championship Saturday College Football Picks:
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SEC:Florida Vs Alabama
ACC:GT Vs Clemson
Big12: Texas Vs Nebraska
Big East: Cincy Vs Pitt

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Free NCAA Football Sports Betting Pick for Saturday

West Virginia @ Rutgers

This one has classic game written all over it. This West Virginia team is off a huge win against Pittsburgh and now will hit the road for some letdown. Rutgers has covered four of the last six meetings, with the under cashing in three of the previous four. West Virginia enters on a bad ATS run, dropping four of its previous six games versus the number. The Scarlet Knights are 4-1 ATS in their last five with the ‘under’ winning out in four of their most recent six games. Look for more of the same this week as Rutgers gets the win over the mountaineers. The sure tell sign is Rutgers an unranked team favored over a ranked team. Drop the small number in this Big East tilit.

Rutgers -2

You may have seen the game on Wednesday night and most of the talk was about their record-setting 18th loss in a row to start a season. However, what wasn’t recognized was the amazing dunk by Terrence Williams in the first half.

If the same dunk would have been preformed by a more recognizable super star, such as, Kobe Bryant or Lebron James, it would have been shown multiple times with more emphasis. The play would have been a “Top Ten” play on Sportscenter. In my opinion this dunk and many others he performed, as well as his leaping ability and athleticism, should qualify him as a participant in the up coming “Dunk Contest”.

If you missed the play it can be viewed at this link.

Thursday Night Free Sports Betting Picks

Thursday Night is here and full of great sports as the NBA, NFL, college basketball and the “Civil War” in college football happens tonight!

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Thursday Night NFL Free Pick:
Ny Jets @ Buffalo

The Jets and Bills play in Canada on Thursday Night Football

The Jets have been up and down all year so there is no way to tell what kind of Jets team you are going to get week in and week out. The Jets win a game against a lousy Carolina team and now they get the nod to be road favorites against Buffalo. This game is on national TV which is huge for the Bills because the crowd will be loud and proud of the Bills. Having the game in Canada only makes it all that much louder and special for this Bills team. The Jets will have their best corner on TO but in reality Fitzpatrick loves to throw it to Lee Evans. The Jets have come up short in six of their last seven as favorites of less than 9 points with revenge. On the other hand, the Bills are 5-0 versus a division foe with revenge off a SU win as underdogs. Buffalo has come away with the cash in nine of the last dozen series duels. Take the Bills plus the points.

Bills +3.5

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