I watched the Oklahoma City Thunder and Milwaukee Bucks and it got me thinking about Kevin Durant. Then I thought about LeBron James and how they will ultimately be judged at the end of their careers.

The part of their career’s that will be most scrutinized will be the number of championships they win, if any at all. Is that the fairest objective measure of greatness relative to another player?

I bring this up mainly because I am tired of players being judged solely on the basis of whether or not they won a championship. Well, I shouldn’t say that is always the case. What I am really tired of is having Robert Horry mentioned whenever someone mentions how many championships so-and-so has. Great, he won 7 championships as, at best, a role player next to some truly great players (Kobe, Shaq, Duncan, Olajuwon to name a few).

That is not meant to diminish his accomplishments, he was a critical cog to the teams that won the championships, but was not the unmoved mover of any of those teams. He was like, as are most role players, the second hand on a clock. Sure, it makes the clock easier to read and is a welcome addition, but without it the clock would still operate.

So, I would use championships to delineate the delicate differences between the truly great players in a generation. In that way, you can accurately compare the relative greatness of one player versus another great player. Michael Jordan is the obvious example, as he usually is regardless of topic.

Michael Jordan dominated the 90’s whenever he wasn’t preoccupied with fulfilling childhood fantasies on the baseball diamond. Jordan went against some great competition during his time, defeating them and proving his position as greatest of all time. Jordan won 6 championships during the decade against a Magic led Lakers team, a Clyde Drexler led Blazers team, a Barkley led Phoenix team, a great and in shape Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton Sonics team, and against Karl Malone and John Stockton Jazz team twice. Talk about great competition.

However, Jordan wasn’t the greatest only because he was the best player on a team that won 6 championships, although it was his drive to win those championships that indeed made him the greatest. To assume that his championships were the only judgmental factor is inherently wrong. If championships were the only judge of a great player then Charles Barkley was a failure, as were Malone and Stockton. Obviously, this is not the case. (Kemp is another matter)

So what role do championships play at the end of a career? I would say fairly confidently that they are used more to cement a legacy than create one. Of course, some greatness is spawned from Finals appearances and the career grows from there (Wade is the closest example I can conjure, although he was fantastic before the Finals).

I would put it this way: would Karl Malone be the greatest power forward ever over Tim Duncan had he won even one championship?

What happens to Allen Iverson if he truly is retired and he never won that illusive championship? His lack of a championship defines him as a player almost as much as his scoring average does. He will be seen as one of the greatest scorers of all time but was too concerned with his own scoring to win a championship. The validity of that thought is questionable, had he kept capable teammates like Stackhouse who knows what kind of passer he may have developed into. Still, he is widely viewed as a selfish player who would rather play 1-on-5 than a purely team game.

Had he won a championship, where would he rank among the greats of the game? He would be considerably higher than he is right now. He had his chance against the Lakers back in 2001, although he had no help (no disrespect to Eric Snow, Dikembe Mutumbo, or Aaron McKie). A championship would have meant he was so great as an individual that he carried his team to a stratosphere it had no business being in.

Back to the original topic: Kevin Durant and LeBron James. I have already discussed this topic previously when the idea that Kevin Durant could end up being better than LeBron when all is said and done.

The only way I could see Durant elevating himself above James would be for Durant to win more championships than James, a lot more. James has all the physical tools you could wish for, while Durant is somewhat physically deficient absent his height and length.

LeBron is in essence a bulldozer who uses his considerable strength to bully his way into the paint and muscles the basketball in. Durant plays the finesse game, relying on his innate ability to find the bottom of the basket with almost any shot to succeed.

However, since all-time greatness is determined more by the rings on your fingers than anything else, this matchup will be determined by how many championships they win. This is entirely speculative, but I can easily envision Durant winning multiple championships. The team that the Thunder has surrounded him with is young, athletic, and above all else, extremely talented.

For the next decade or so, they could have a lineup that already has its starting 1-4 set with tremendous talents. How many other teams can say that at this juncture?

LeBron’s future is cluttered by much more uncertainty. Without any word on his future destination, you can’t know whether he plans to stay in Cleveland or start out somewhere new beyond this season. Almost anywhere he goes, if he decides to leave Cleveland, will be a work in progress, unless he really likes the Clippers or decides to go to another team with a superstar in place (Lakers? Heat?). So, with unsteady terms regarding his future, his championship possibilities are not as clear-cut. Of course, he is on a team that can contend right now, and a championship on his end settles this debate for the foreseeable future. Still, it is an interesting discussion.

Years and years ago, one  of my favorite cartoons was Rocky and Bullwinkle. By today’s standards, the animation was not so good and perhaps the” plots” left  a bit to be desired. But the irony was rich and it was enjoyable to watch.  One of the common features of the show was to title  an episode and then to give it a second title  with a bit of  a twist . That is my intent with the following. ….Or, “Being Top Dog Isn’t Always  As Good As  You Think  It Is.”

In this case, we speak of Tiger Woods, who is definitely famous but is probably wishing  for just a bit of anonymity right about now. Less than 5 hours after an early morning traffic accident or something, the internet was literally rampant with theory, speculation and just about all the salacious stuff one  could imagine.

I  know, I know, it may be  true. Perhaps he  and his wife are having issues and maybe there will be  a lot more juicy stuff to surface in the next few days. But, I sincerely hope not. I would like to believe that the incident was nothing more than  a traffic accident and  a minor one  at that. I recall that I  was in disbelief when the rumors surfaced about trouble in Michael Jordan’s marriage. In that case, the rumors were all too true, but I still regretted it for the entire  Jordan family.

Historically, Tiger Woods’ personal life has been remarkably personal, considering his stature as one of the world’s most famous athletes. Got  a bad feeling that his privacy is turning into quicksand and very quickly at that.

Reports are that he  and his wife will speak with the authorities tomorrow. This fan hopes for the best while  anticipating  something less.

This whole incident smacks of drama concerning Tiger’s jumpoff. I mean, so far alcohol hasn’t been mentioned as having anything to do with this. So I’m thinking wifey got an attitude about his jumpoff (rightfully so if he really is cheating on her), hit Tiger in the face, so he tried to bail, which enraged her more and at that point wifey decided to jack up his car as he was trying to leave the driveway. And while it doesn’t look good for Tiger’s image if his 110lbs. wifey did beat him up, the idea of a skinny chick pulling Tiger through the rear of an SUV? I ain’t buying it. Also, wouldn’t ol’ girl have keys to this car? Something is definitely fishy here. Plus, I bet lil Elin ain’t havin’ no other white chick mess up her meal ticket…but then when you let you rich hubby hang out with the likes of notorious creepers like Jordan and Charles Barkley, this was bound to happen.

Jordan 60 + es un modelo híbrido de Jordan Brand. La zapa combina cuatro diferentes  Air Jordans que Michael Jordan usaba cuando anotó más de 60 puntos en un partido único en 1986, 1987, 1990 y 1993. En asociación con los años y modelos de Jordan, estos cuatro son las Air Jordan 1, Air Jordan 2, Air Jordan 5 y Air Jordan 7, respectivamente..Ahora nos llegan con el colorway de Cleveland..

I guess no one cares about Michael Jordan anymore like they did in October.

Top words typed into search engines to find Political Jesus:

1. king david

2. boondocks

3. positive opinion obama peace prize cartoon

4. stanley hauerwas homosexuality

5. did american governors ever asked forgiv

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

Soooo…  I trust you’ve all done your part for the economy… nay… the country, by rising at 3 A.M. and shuffling off to your local national chain to purchase oodles of brand name merchandise at low-low prices, yes? By now you should be comfortably standing in a line somewhere, behind that old lady paying for everything with a check that she hasn’t written out beforehand and that family of 24 (23 of them children) and that gaggle of gossipy gals getting goods one… by one… by one… am I right? Of course I am. And it goes without saying (except that, well, I’m saying it right now), that you’ll take that iPhone of yours, or that Blackberry of yours, or, for the more gadget-conscious, that Droid of yours, and pull up edhoncho.com to see what kind of knowledge I’m dropping today. I mean really, who wouldn’t? Look around, see all those other people looking at their phones with sly smiles on their faces? With a look that probably says, without bragging, “I’m better than everyone here”? Yeah, they’re here too.

And you picked a good day tune in… just like yesterday, and the day before that, and tomorrow, and the day after that. All good days to tune in… but especially today, cause it’s today. I’m in the moment people. Come join me.

So, on the topic of today, I would like to make a couple of proposals. First, it should be a national holiday. I mean, we beat around the bush with Christmas and Halloween and Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day, pretending they’re about something other than super-consumerism, why not just have a day where we admit to ourselves “that’s right, you heard us, we have a holiday that’s solely about buying stuff”? I mean, this is America, right? Could there possibly be a more American holiday? And let’s be honest readers, we’re not the country that passively avoids international disdain. We’re just not that country. We’re the country that says “here’s what we’re doing. Don’t like it? Suck our giant balls.” Right? I mean, isn’t that just so us? And of course, before you know it, every country in the world will have their own version of Black Friday, because we’re the popular kid… everyone hates us, but they all want to be just like us.

Which brings me to my second point… why such a bleak name for such a wonderful day? I know, I know… “in the black”… I never said I didn’t understand it… of course I understand it… it’s just that, well, I think we can do better. I’ve conducted a brainstorming session with some of the brightest minds around (myself), and here are some suggestions:

• Consumption Day – Simple, understandable, and more to the point, to the point.
• Buy Something Day – OK, sure, this is a reaction, possibly childish, to Adbusters proposal to make today “Buy Nothing Day“. Are they trying to ruin our country?
• Recession Avoidance Day – Really, can we afford to roll the dice with the future of the world?
• Thanksgiving, the Sequel – Also thought about going with Thanksgiving II: Return of the California King. Really, who better to thank than the wonderful men and women that provide us with goods and services that we clearly can’t live without?
• Christmas – Let’s be honest. Today is the first day of Christmas. This would extend Christmas and make it more like Hannukah, except instead of eight days celebrating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, we’ve got 25-32 days celebrating shopping.

Surely, from amongst these pretty-much-transcendent ideas, we can come to a consensus on the new name for our wonderful holiday.

Now, what kind of adviser of men would I be if I didn’t offer some wonderful suggestions to you and yours on what to get your sports-loving loved one (or, you know, yourself)? Not a very good one, that’s for sure, and as you all know, those are words that simply aren’t used to describe yours truly (well, except “good”… oh, and “very good”… but not “not very good”… in conjunction with one another, all three, they aren’t associated with yours tru… oh, forget it, let’s just move on).

A replica, full-sized, of the video screen at Cowboys Stadium. Let’s be honest… hosting parties and get-togethers with today’s standard sized 205 inch televisions just isn’t cutting it. You can barely tell how many days facial-hair-growth Edwin van der Sar is working on, let alone make out DeShawn Stevenson’s neck tattoos. This is unacceptable, of course. Suggested hint drop: (while watching the Cowboys play at home) “You know honey, that thing could fit in here if we knocked all the walls out, and bought the neighbor’s house and knocked all their walls out, and connected the two homes. I’m just sayin’.”

The INADA i.2A Massage Chair. You’re going to need a respectable place to sit while watching your new VS (video screen), and while the old lazy-boy might be comfortable and worn-in… it’s time has come. You simply cannot watch the new VS from a lazy-boy… it’d be like wearing your Ralph Lauren loafers with that new K-50 Kiton suit. It just lacks class. An upgrade to the VS requires… demands… a corresponding upgrade to your seat. Lucky for you, the family Inada has your back (and your ass, and upper legs, if we’re technical). Suggested hint drop: “My back! It’s killing me from looking up at this thing all day. Oh God, the pain!”

Michael Jordan Fantasy Camp. Sure, it’s getting harder and harder to pull off that killer crossover you’re known for, and maybe you’ve lost a few feet off your set shot, and maybe, just maybe, that patented running hook shot has been missing the rim a little more than it used to… but’s it’s nothing a few days with his Airness can’t fix. Plus, you get a real chance to back up all those claims you made during the 1998 NBA Finals about taking Jordan to the hole. What’s to lose? Suggested hint drop: “I’m telling you, I could take that guy to the hole.”

The Pontiac Silverdome. Because you can afford it. Suggested hint drop: “You know, honey, I know we’ve been talking about that efficiency flat in San Francisco… but how ’bout the former home of the Detroit Lions? We save money on the deal, and the new VS will easily fit.”

That’ll have to do it for now, readers. I’ve just made it to the front of the line I’ve been waiting in, and apparently it’s rude to be on your notebook whilst checking out. Stupid cultural norms. I’ll have to address these when our new holiday comes to pass. Until then, spend like the wind!

Lebron will become one of the twenty best players that ever lived. When Lebron hits his prime and gets surrounded by quality shooters and big men that can run the floor, he’ll toss up a triple double for an entire season. I’m talking 33/12/13 every night. Lebron sees everything in slow motion and plays the game like chess. ” If I dribble here, this guy moves here, that guy moves there and then shit should happen “.

He controls his body like Jordan, dunks the ball like Dominique Wilkins, and manages a game like Isiah Thomas. All the Jordan comparisons need to stop right now, he plays like a much more athletic Magic Johnson. A lot of people thought Lebron would just drop 40 a night and dunk on everyone, which he almost does but he’s a pass first, shoot later type player and also very loyal to his town and teammates.

I still think Carmelo is the better shooter, Lebron is more athletic and can manage a game better but he still has a crooked jumper and I’d take Melo for a game winning shot. The only advantage he has over Melo is the athleticism and having made it to the NBA Finals. This season he’s averaging 26/7/7, which are incredible numbers. At least once a game Lebron does something so explosive, so athletic that you can’t believe it.

I remember watching game 5 of the Cavs/Pistons series at The Palace, which I call the “48 Special”. Lebron physically overpowered Detroits. The Pistons didn’t want any part of him, they were just conquered. It’s almost as if they gave up. They didn’t even put two guys on him. It might have been the best game Lebron has played since stepping foot into the league.

Right now I think Lebron is already making history. He still doesn’t have a reliable 20 foot jumper or a post up game, but he’s only going to get better. He’s as good a teammate as a player. The more I watch him, the more I wonder if such an intensely loyal guy would ever dump his hometown and start a fresh life somewhere else. He isn’t surrounded by the most talent right now, personally, I thought he would’ve been gone a couple months ago, but now I see he will never leave Cleveland. He still has to prove that the only trophy he can hold up isn’t just the MVP award.

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.

For those of you who don’t know I’m a big sports fan, especially when it comes to NBA. And with me being a designer I look everywhere for inspiration. Well today I watched some old clips from the 1996 All-Star game and that reminded me  how ill the jerseys were from that year. I’ve always wanted the Jordan jersey from the ‘96 All Star game but I can never find it anywhere online. I’ve been patiently waiting for Mitchell and Ness to retro it but I see that they’re not making any effort so I’ll just have to find a vintage joint.

I have mad respect for the artist who designed this jersey. Why can’t any recent All-Star jersey be designed to this caliber, it seems like they get worst by the year. This colorway gives me mad inspiration for a few designs that I had a hard time choosing colors for. But on another note the picture below is pure greatness, I would be dumb excited if I could ever get my hands on all of that vintage All-Star Apparel.

One day I’ll get my hands on this jersey. I wonder if they even made this in a size 40? But if anybody comes across this jersey in a size 40 or 44 hit me up with a email(ladieslovetj@gmail.com). Also contact me if you find any matching apparel like the hat or the shorts for example. And when I do finally get my hands on this jersey I’m going to rock it just like MJ did lol, except I’m going to have on a Red Ski Collection Varsity instead of the Bulls jacket, but the jersey will be under the jacket with the white 11’s on my feet!

~Young Astro~

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.

Tomorrow morning alot of sneakerheads will be pleased as the Air Jordan 12 ‘Flu Game’ releases. This is a re-release of the original that released back in 97 when MJ scored 38 points in a game where he had the flu & was carried off the court. The 97 & 38 is represented on the shoe with a sick smile face… Happy hunting for this, the ‘Flu Games’ retail for $150.

The AP is reporting that the legendary professional Basketball player Allen Iverson is set to announce his retirement from the N.B.A. Iverson , a former Most Valuable Player for the N.B.A. has been in the league since the 1996 season, in which he was drafted in the first round by the Philadelphia 76ers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Iverson

He played with the Sixers for 10 years. During his tenure he was Rookie of the Year, League MVP, 2x All-Star MVP, and led the league in scoring for four years. After his rookie season, during which he led the 76ers in points, assists and minutes, Iverson was named the 1996 NBA Rookie of the Year and was a member of the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

The 10-time All-Star played three games this season with Memphis before taking a leave of absence to attend to personal matters. He was waived after the two sides agreed to part ways.

The New York Knicks considered signing Iverson last week after he cleared waivers, before deciding he would take too much playing time away from younger players they are trying to develop.

With no apparent interest from any other NBA teams, Allen Iverson is set to retire.

Iverson will always be credited for popularizing the streetball style move called the cross-over, and for his exciting tricky aggressive driving style of play.

He was never the tallest on the floor, just the most dangerous player that always wanted the ball.

Allen Iverson is a sho-in for the Hall of Fame, and I suspect that he can still run with the best of them, given a team that can design their plays to allow Iverson to shoot at will.

I personally enjoyed the years I got to watch him compete in the NBA, and I look forward to seeing what he does in the future.

Thanks for the 100 percent effort Allen Iverson…you were worth watching and you will be missed.

Read the full story here…

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hPZfEWbAiIKgjsNDLhC1jiVSsJZAD9C78M580

El Innombrable vs no lay up, ¿quién prevalecerá?

Those that know me are well aware that my favorite basketball player of all-time is Patrick Ewing. Growing up a Ewing fan, made me a Georgetown fan by default. So in the mid-’90’s when a young Allen Iverson began to take the nation by storm I was drawn in automatically. It wasn’t just that A.I. was an explosive scorer, to me, he was THE FIRST hip-hop baller. Let’s keep it real, MJ ain’t never fuck with rap, but then again, he was from an older generation. When Iverson got to the NBA he was like a breath of fresh air, someone we could relate to, plus he was a BEAST on the court.

Earlier today, after 14 seasons in the league, A.I. called it quits. He was a 4-time NBA scoring champion, a 10-time All-Star and led the Sixers in the Finals in 2001. Dude put in WORK. I wish he could’ve went out on a higher note, he can still ball and contribute. It would’ve been great to see him retire in New York, but I guess it wasn’t in the cards. Still, something tells me this isn’t the last we’ll see of Allen Iverson. SALUTE

Hit the jump for some of my favorite A.I. highlights

MJ Crossover

The 2004 Olympic Game Winner

Dunk on Marcus Camby

A.I. Career Crossover Mix

A.I. Career Dunk Mix

Nosso estimado Homo Econometricum, agora no mestrado, procurou alguém que pudesse lhe dar importantes lições de sobrevivência no mundo dos negócios. Não achou nada nas estantes da biblioteca da galera de bízinês, claro. Acabou encontrando aqui. É o velho Mike mostrando que sabe exatamente onde estão os problemas.

I came across this great site dedicated to Michael Jordan which has all the history, stats, and info on Michael’s amazing career. It even has all the Air Jordan shoes that Michael has worn through out the years.

I consider myself lucky to have watched Michael play during his championship years in Chicago. It was always a great experience since you never know what he was going to accomplish that night. Unfortunately many of his great games came against my beloved Knicks of the late 90’s, but I still had a great deal of respect for Jordan.

His airness

For those who never watched him play live, it is difficult to get a sense of how great he was relative to everyone else in the game at the time. There is no doubt in my mind that if Jordan were to enter the NBA now as a rookie, he would still be able to dominate.

Here are 10 of Michael Jordan’s career stats that I thought were outstanding and deserves to be mentioned.

1. 6 time NBA championship

The only current player who comes close to that is Kobe with 4 championships. 3 of which he earned with the help of Shaq.

First championship

2. 5 time regular season MVP

No current player has more than 2 (Duncan, Nash)

3. 30.1 career scoring average

If Jordan did not come back and play for the Wizards after a 3 year retirement, this number would be even higher. With the Wizards he never averaged more than 23 points per game.

4.172 games with 40 or more points

37 of those games came within a 2 year period between 1986-1987

Rising above the rest

5. 39 games with 50 or more points

Holy crap…

6. 10 scoring titles

Allen Iverson leads all current players with 4, and doesn’t look like he’ll get a chance at a 5th.

7. 3 retirements

Imagine how many more championships and scoring titles he would have earned without those 4 years off.

Basketball stud, baseball dud

8. 2 Olympic gold medals

The best dream team there ever was.

9. 32292 regular season points scored

Good enough for 3rd place all time behind Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Karl Malone

10. #1 of 50 greatest players in NBA history

Nuff said.

Will there ever be another player as great as Michael Jordan? No.

No other player can have as large an impact on the game of basketball as Michael Jordan. He not only brought the game to another level with his on court performances, he also helped to expand and popularize the game world wide. He is the idol of countless kids across the world who would never have picked up a basketball if it wasn’t for Michael Jordan.

Now that he is retired from the game, he continues to be a role model through his businesses and other ventures. His line of Air Jordans basketball shoes are very successful, and they are complimented by Jordan’s messages to young athletes to work hard and to not be afraid of failure.

Michael Jordan, great basketball player, great ambassador of the game, great role model, great man.

To celebrate the Holidays I am going to post a free winning pick for every day of the week starting on Thanksgiving and going all the way to Sunday. I will also post some great sportsbook bonus so you can take advantage of some of the best in the business! Take time out to be thankful for everything in life and remember the troops that can’t be home on Thanksgiving.

Want all of my top rated plays for this week for free? Just sign up and play at any sponsor and you get them all for free! Email me at mregaw@yahoo.com for the plays!

Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone!

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Free Pick for Thursday November 26th, Turkey day!

Texas @ Texas A& M

Texas has already clinched the Big 12 South and will play Nebraska in the

Happy Holidays!

Championship game but they can’t afford to get caught napping here. This will be no problem for Texas as they are focused on going to the Championship game after the loss last year that put them out. Texas A&M has flopped in six of nine as dogs of 20 points or more and in 10 of 12 ATS off a home win. The Longhorns have scored at least 41 points in their four previous road games this season. They are 23-12-2 ATS in November and get a blowout win here.

Play: Texas -21

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Free Pick for Friday November 27th

Alabama @ Auburn

Auburn enters this game with revenge after getting blanked last year. Alabama is going to the SEC Championship game against Florida so this game is a warm up. The Tigers have covered seven of 11 against Alabama and the home team is 4-1 ATS in the last five showdowns. The Crimson Tide dropped nine of 13 ATS when giving up more than 11 points on the highway. Auburn will not win but they will keep it close.

Play: Auburn +10

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Free Pick for Saturday November 28th

Arkansas @ LSU

The loss for LSU was a tough one that will linger over to this week. Arkansas has pulled off the upset against LSU the last two seasons. The Razorbacks are 11-6 as road dogs and the visitor is 6-3 in the past nine meetings. The Tigers are 2-14 as SEC home favorites and they have floundered in 27 of 34 ATS at Baton Rouge in November. Arkansas knows hwo to beat LSU and will do it again.

Play: Arkansas +3.5

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Free Pick For Sunday November 29th

Indianapolis @ Houston
Houston will be playing on a short week and they have to get Chris Brown in the right mindset for this game. Houston has cashed eight straight as home dogs and won six of those eight SU, the only two losses at the hands of the Colts by a total of four points. The Colts have struggled within the division, dropping 14 of 21 ATS, while the Texans are 6-2 at Reliant Stadium versus AFC-South citizens. Indianapolis has won six of seven at Houston, but failed in five of seven ATS. Houston finally gets the win against the Colts.

Play: Houston +3