Sexta Feira

     Contando cum uma fraca atuação de Wade (18 pts, 6 reb), um surpreendente contribuição do reserva Nick Young (22 pts) e a sempre sólida participação de Jamison (24 pts, 13 reb), os Wizards conseguiram uma importante vitória fora de casa contra o Heat, que havia se dado bem, contra o Magic fora de casa.

     Young foi a surpresa do jogo, após ter atuado pouquíssimo tempo durante a temporada, fazendo pontos, e mais importante, mantendo Wade abaixo de sua média normal.

      Para completar, com essa atuação, Jamison agora se junta à Garnett, Nowitzki, Shaq e Tim Duncan como os únicos jogadores em atividade a ter mais de 16.000 pontos e 6.000 rebotes

      Os Hawks continuam sua forte caminhada no Leste, conseguindo mais uma vitória fora de casa. Já os 76ers estão muito mal, rendendo muito abaixo do potencial de seus jogadores. O sistema de jogo do técnico Eddie Jorda funcionou bem em Washington, mas não parece correto com o estilo dos jogadores que Philadelphia tem.

      Crawford e Bibby (21 pts.) foram os destaques de Atlanta, enquanto Iguodala (16 pts, 9 reb, 8 ast, 2 stl e 2 blk) namorou com um triple-double, mas não teve nenhuma contribuição de seus parceiros.

      Os Cavs continuam sua campanha derrapante (se comparada ao ano passado) dessa vez perdendo para o Bobcats. A estrela do jogo desta vez, não foi LeBron, mas sim Gerald Wallace (31 pts, 14 reb) que está jogando muito nas últimas rodadas. Ele lidera a liga em rebotes por jogo, mas ele atua na posição 3, o que torna mais impressionante sua presença no garrafão defensivo.

      Já os Cavs ficaram na mesma história de sempre. LeBron contra o time adversário. Honestamente, já não tenho mais tanta fé nesse time quanto tinha no começo da temporada…

103	116
2 empatados – 20 pts	R. Allen – 20 pts
Chris Bosh – 13 reb	K Garnett – 7 reb
J. Jack – 6 ast.	R. Rondo – 11 ast

       É impressionante a capacidade do Raptors de não defender. O time está cheio de talentos ofensivos (Bosh, Bargnani, Bellinelli), mas não importa o time, eles tomam mais de 110 pontos por jogo.

      Contra um time experiente e habilidoso como o Celtics, o resultado não poderia ser outro. No começo do segundo tempo os Celtics abriram 13 pontos e não olharam para trás. Vitória fácil.

OBS: Se alguém fundar um fã clube para o Rajon Rondo, me convidem que eu entro. Se demorar demais eu mesmo monto um.

104	96
C. Kaman – 26 pts	J. Jerekbo – 22 pts
M. Camby – 9 reb	B. Wallace – 16 reb
B. Davis – 10 ast.	Will Bynum – 9 ast

      Olhe bem para os números acima. Jerekbo (22 pts) foi o cestinha do esfacelado Pistons, que jogou sem R. Hamilton, T. Prince e B. Gordon. Assim, até os Clippers conseguem vencer.

      E foi o que aconteceu. Parece que o time de Mike Dunleavy finalmente achou um pouco de equilíbrio com a habilidade ofensiva de Kaman (26 pts, jogando muito) com Camby fechando o garrafão, e B. Davis parando de mandar tijolos em direção ao aro e focando na armação (10 ast.)

      Mas por enquanto, não acredito em nenhuma dessas duas equipes no futuro, a não ser que Blake Griffin estréie jogando muito e seja um diferencial.

113	92
D. Nowitzki – 31 pts	D. Granger – 20 pts
K. Humpries – 11 reb	J. Foster – 14 reb
2 empatados – 4 ast.	T.J. Ford – 5 ast

      Senhoras e senhores, os Mavs estão vindo com tudo e por incrível que pareça, ninguém esta dando muita bola. Dirk e companhia estão com uma campanha muito interessante até o momento, principalmente se lembrarmos que 4 dos 5 titulares estão do lado errado dos 30 (Nowitzki, Gooden, Marion e Kidd), e seus principais reservas também (Terry, Dampier). Além do mais, por conta de contusões, Beabouis está começando como titular e está sendo uma agradável surpresa.

      Já os Pacers não ofereceram nenhuma resistência ao time de Dallas, encabeçados por Danny Granger, que é um dos melhores jogadores da liga, mas da dó vê-lo jogar sem ninguém para ajudá-lo.

92	84
T. Duncan – 21 pts	L. Scola – 18 pts
A. McDyess– 14 reb	L. Scola – 12 reb
T. Parker – 7 ast.	T. Ariza – 5 ast

      San Antonio finalmente conseguiu sua primeira vitória fora de casa nessa temporada, e a vítima foi o Houston Rockets. Após um primeiro tempo equilibrado, os Spurs apertaram a defesa e abriram uma vantagem de 12 pontos no terceiro período.

     Na volta do intervalo, os Rockets ficaram 7 minutos e meio sem converter um arremesso de quadra em 16 tentados. Apesar de equilibrado, Houston precisa de alguém que pegue a bola nesses momentos difíceis, pois T. Ariza não pode ser a principal arma ofensiva (5 de 21 arremessos).

      No fim do jogo, o placar chegou a ficar próximo, mas nada que os Spurs não conseguissem controlar e levar a vitória para casa.

125	128
A. Harrington – 41 pts	C. Anthony – 50 pts
2 empatados – 10 reb	2 empatados – 11 reb
L. Hughes – 9 ast.	C. Billups – 8 ast

      Se eu fosse jogador da NBA, ainda mais o cestinha do meu time, eu circularia com uma caneta bem vermelha os jogos que eu tivesse contra o Knicks, por alguns motivos

- mais uma vitória garantida

- hoje é dia de marcar 50 pontos

      Todo mundo deita e rola na defesa dos Knicks, que não tem jogadores para implementar o sistema de D’antoni. Dessa vez foi Carmelo, com 50 pontos (primeira vez na carreira) que fez o que quis. Uma curiosidade é que, no último quarto, quando as defesas tendem a ficarem mais focadas, nesse jogo foi ataque pra todo lado, sendo que os Knicks ganharam de 38×36!

      O jogo só ficou equilibrado graças ao esforço de Harrington (41 pts) que mantinha NY atrás do placar. Mas no final, o melhor time venceu.

      No encontro entre o melhor time da liga (na minha opinião) contra o segundo pior (acho que esse é consenso), não podia dar outra, senão uma paulada do Phoenix em cima do pobre Minessota.

      Phoenix assumiu a liderança cedo e não teve nenhuma dificuldade em manter o ritmo, dando a 15a derrota consecutiva aos T’wolves. Nenhum  dos titulares jogou mais do que 27 minutos, e isso é importante para manter as baterias energizadas de Nash, Hill e companhia.

      Pelo lado de Minnesota, Flynn continua se perdendo no triangulo ofensivo que Rambis tenta implementar (18 pts, 6 ast, 4 TO), Corey Brewer teve uma noite horrível (1-11 FG) e Al Jefferson merecia estar em um time melhor.

      Dois dos times mais empolgantes nessa temporada se encontraram na noite de sexta, e Kevin Durant (33 pts, 12 reb, 5 ast) e sua turma se sairam melhor do que os parceiros de Brendon Jennings (12 pts, 3-11 FG). O Thunder ganhou esse jogo porque entrou mais decidido no segundo tempo, enterrando de vez qualquer chance de reação de Milwaukee.

      Com Jennings errando muito, a vitória foi tranquila. Mas algumas coisas me chamaram a atenção nesse jogo. Kevin Durant não recebe a atenção que merece da mídia, pois ele joga demais. Junto com Westbrook e James Harden, estamos falando de um possível “Big Three” no futuro. Olho neles.

      Já por parte de Milwaukee, Jennings terá de se acostumar a ser melhor marcado, agora que todos sabem de seu potencial de atacar a cesta. Com ele fora de ritmo, a produção dos Bucks caem demais. Ilyasova é uma grata surpresa nesse time, com um basquete bastante eficiente.

      Memphis é um time engraçado. Com jogadores talentosos em todas as posições, mas as vezes parece que falta bola pra ser arremessada, de tanto que cada um tenta resolver sozinho o jogo.

      Mas quando os jogadores aceitam o seu papel, e jogam coletivamente, eis o que acontece, uma boa vitória contra um bom time fora de casa. O ataque balanceado dos Grizzlies passou por cima da atuação de Roy (26 pts, 9 ast). Memphis nunca ficou atrás no placar.

      Podem falar o que quiser, mas o melhor jogador desse time é Marc Gasol, que está jogando um basquetebol exuberante nesses últimos tempos. Mais um que não recebe a atenção que merece no mundo da NBA.

      Presenciar a história passando em frente dos seus olhos é uma raridade. Poucas as vezes temos a chance de ver algo incomparável, algo tão único que se torna especial. Os Nets são tudo isso. Eles já podem entrar na discussão de pior time da história da liga, pois ostentam 16 derrotas em 16 jogos, e só por um milagre ganharão do Lakers se livrando do pior início de todos os tempos do basquete norte americano.

      Mas não tem muito o que falar. O time roda pouco a bola, só tem dois jogadores que podem criar seu próprio arremesso e um outro jogador médio. Na ordem – Devin Harris, Brook Lopez e Courtney Lee. O resto teria dificuldade em garantir um lugarzinho que algum outro time da liga (menos Wolves, claro)

      Sacramento, que não tinha nada ver com isso, contou com (mais) uma boa atuação de Tyreke Evans (21 pts) e seu banco de reservas, Beno Udrih (21 pts, 8-10 FG) e Omri Casspi (18 pts, 6-11) para enterrar de vez os Nets, que nunca ameaçaram encostar. Sacramento tem algumas peças interessantes, mas ainda falta para o time poder almejar alguma coisa essa temporada.

It is an understatement to say that this has been a hard year for Allen Iverson. Last season, A.I. was traded from the Denver Nuggets to the Detroit Pistons, where he struggled with a back injury, and was forced to a bench role. The Pistons fell down the stretch, and Iverson headed into the offseason as a free agent.

Oddly, not many teams had an interest in the ten-time All-Star. Among Iverson’s rumored destinations were the Charlotte Bobcats, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, and the Memphis Grizzlies. Besides the Heat, the aforementioned teams are annually at the bottom of the NBA standings. Ultimately, Iverson signed with the Grizzlies, because he thought it would be the best place for him to secure a starting job. However, Iverson was placed on the bench, and this was a big shot at an old superstar’s ego.  This forced A.I. to take a leave of absence from the team, which ended in his outright release from the team.

A free agent again, the New York Knicks emerged as a possible destination for Iverson. After a couple days passed, Knicks’ president Donnie Walsh rejected the rumors, saying that Iverson’s signing would take too much playing time from young players, and would stun their development. Now with no offers left on the table and frustrated, Iverson released a statement that he would retire. The backlash from this statement led to several former coaches reaching out to Iverson, urging him not to retire. Iverson’s former Georgetown coach, John Thompson, set up a meeting with Iverson to discuss his future in the NBA.

A week passed, and the A.I. talk was mum, until Sixers PG Lou Williams broke his jaw in a game against the Washington Wizards. Surgery was required for the injury, and Williams is expected to be out for up to 8 weeks. The rumor mills were now saying that it was a strong possibility that Iverson signed with the Sixers. All of a sudden, a reunion of A.I. and Philadelphia makes perfect sense.

This all confuses me very much so, because I believe that Iverson is a perfect fit, even with Lou Williams healthy. So far, the Sixers are off to a dismal start with a record of 5-12. Philadelphia is also an annual .500 team, 7th or 8th seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, and almost a lock to be bounced in the first round of said playoffs. However, the Sixers have young talent such as Andre Iguodala (another A.I.), the aforementioned Williams, and Thaddeus Young. Philadelphia has a superstar in F Elton Brand, and good defense in the middle by C Samuel Dalembert. Although, what the Sixers lack is the ability to score from 3-point land, and on jump shots. Philadelphia is mostly a run-and-gun team, without the clutch scorer that is necessary late in games.

Allen Iverson (above) in a Sixers uniform when he formerly played for Philadelphia.

The only thing the Sixers would have to provide Iverson is a starting job, and personally I think it makes a perfect sense. A.I. would provide balance to the rest of this team, and could make them the 4th or 5th seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Sixers would have to pull off some major upsets over teams such as the Boston Celtics, the Orlando Magic, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, but to get it done, the answer is still A.I.

Wat Misaka

More than half a century before the Dallas Mavericks drafted China’s Wang Zhizhi in 1999, the New York Knicks drafted Wat in the first round, making him the first person of color, as well as the first person of Asian descent to be drafted into what is now the National Basketball Association (NBA).

His little known story is told in the documentary, TRANSCENDING – THE WAT MISAKA STORY, made by the award-winning husband and wife filmmaking team Christine Toy Johnson and Bruce Alan Johnson.

Christine Toy Johnson and Bruce Alan Johnson© Lia Chang

Overcoming the national political climate during World War II, Wat was a star player for the University of Utah 1944 and 1947 championship teams, taking 2 years off in between to serve in the U.S. Army. His perseverance and loyalty to his teammates, other Nissei friends (including those interned at the Topaz camp) and his family are a testament to the unflappable Japanese American spirit.

Wat Misaka

TRANSCENDING – THE WAT MISAKA STORY includes in depth interviews with Wat and his family, teammates from his championship teams (including All-American star Arnie Ferrin of the Minneapolis Lakers) sports authorities (including Knicks Historian Dennis D’Agostino and ubiquitous New York sportscaster Spencer Ross), and many who continue to look up to him as both a role model and personal hero. The film also has video clips from his 1944 and 1947 college games, rare footage from a visit to the Topaz Internment Camp, and countless photos of his triumphant career.

The filmmakers were given two consecutive grants from the California Civil Liberties Public Education Program. The film has won the “Gold Kahuna Award” from the Honolulu International Film Festival and the “Emerging Eye Directorial Discovery Award” from the Roving Eye Documentary Film Festival.

On August 8, 2010, Sport in Society gave Wat their highest honor, the “True Hero in Sports” Award and the Rhode Island International Film Festival gave him their first ever “Roger Williams Independent Spirit Award”. The filmmakers surprised Wat and his family with the debut of his profile in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

On August 10, 2009, Wat returned to NYC and the Garden for the first time in 62 years, where he was given a warm welcome by the Knicks organization, chronicled beautifully by George Vecsey in the New York Times.

On October 14, 2009, Wat was invited to the White House, as President Obama acknowledged Wat’s achievements in his introductory remarks during the signing of his Executive Order reinstating an Initiative for Asian American Pacific Islanders.

The DVD of TRANSCENDING – THE WAT MISAKA STORY, with a new original score by Scot Stafford, will be released in time for March Madness, 2010. Check out www.watmisaka.com.

For more information, visit www.watmisaka.com.

Lia Chang is an actor, performance and fine art botanical photographer, and a multimedia journalist. A former syndicated arts and entertainment columnist for KYODO News, Lia is the New York Bureau Chief for AsianConnections.com. As a photographer and videographer, Lia is frequently tapped to collaborate with artists, organizations and companies in building their brand and establishing their documentary photo archive. She has been documenting her colleagues and contemporaries in the arts, fashion and journalism since making her stage debut as Liat in the National Tour of South Pacific, with Robert Goulet and Barbara Eden.

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David Stern no se anda con mari…neros cibernéticos. Quiero decir, que el supercomisionado de la NBA no navega por la red o no le gusta que sus indisciplinados chicos lo hagan. El pasado curso hubo revuelos por varios casos de jugadores (entre ellos Shaquille O’Neal) que publicaron mensajes en esta página (en twitter, no en Puertatras, que aquí solo le dejamos ese honor a Roger Esteller) mientras estaban en el banquillo durante un partido, además del incidente que protagonizó Ron Artest al publicar su número en esta red social o de la exclusiva que dio Allen Iverson por este medio de su futuro fichaje por Detroit hace unos meses (¿por qué siempre salen los mismos tipos en este blog?). Ahora le ha tocado el turno a otras dos estrellas de la Liga, el señor Amare Stoudamire y el Knick Tyson Chandler. Ambos han sido multados por twittear durante (en el caso del de Phoenix) o en la misma noche de un partido, algo prohibido por el nuevo reglamento de conducta que Stern reescribe tras cada pilleria de sus gamberros y millonarios juguetes. 7.500 dolares por estar a la última.

Antonio Graves pensando qué escribirá en Twitter cuando llegue a casa

En Europa la cosa ha ido más lejos y Antonio Graves ha sido despedido de forma fulminante por la Cibona de Zagreb después de sacudirle un par de twitters a Vladimir Perasovic. Sus comentarios abiertos (hasta ayer, no intenten llegar a la página, está cerrada) sobre su entrenador solo son interpretados como un harakiri voluntario o consciente o por la soberana estupidez de pensar que no se iba a enterar nadie de sus jocosas afirmaciones, dignas de denuncia por otra parte al comentar sus deseos de agredir al técnico: “basura de entrenador” 0 “Hombre, él me gritaba mientras yo me moría de risa por dentro”, al referirse a un incidente con ‘Peras’ tras llegar tarde a un entrenamiento. Aunque el problema de Graves puede ser más de bolsillo vacío, ya que hace unas semanas se negó a viajar con el equipo croata en un desplazamiento de la Euroliga por impago. A este le coge Stern y lo pone recto.

Otras multas

Si recuerdan o, más fácil, si barren hacia abajo en esta misma página, encontrarán a Sheed Wallace berreando contra las malas maneras de Hedo Turkoglu y el piscinazo del turco que le costó su sexta técnica de la temporada y una rajada calentita por la falta de sanción de estos engaños por parte de la NBA. En el mismo encuentro Paul Pierce recibió otra técnica por mirar a Chris Bosh tras hacer un mate ‘in your face’. Pues le han caído a Etiqueta Negra unos 30.000 dólares de penalización por sus jugosas declaraciones, en las que decía que si la acción con la que penalizaron a Pierce la hace Lebron James, todo hubiera sido idílico para la Liga.

Parecida cifra recibió hace unos días el tatuado (como si eso fuera un carácter diferenciador en la NBA) alero de los Magic, Matt Barnes. El curtido sexto hombre fue sancionado por lanzar el balón a la grada después de que los árbitros dieran por válida una acción sobre el aro con la que Michael Beasley convirtió el mate que consumó la victoria de los Miami Heat en el derbi de Florida a 1,6 segundos del final. 20.000 dólares por su rabieta. Stan Van Gundy, su coach, bromeó sobre el asunto y dijo que ese lanzamiento fue más o menos “como lanzar esos 20.000 dólares al público. Pero su lo hubiera hecho ahora sería mucho más popular”. De guasa y pensando en los 35.000 machacantes que le tocó pagar a él tras rajar en pretemporada en relación a la huelga de los árbitros. Ojalá Stern tome nota y contemple esa posibilidad. Quizá algunas franquicias ganarían un puñado de adeptos a sus malnutridos pabellones por si les cae algún ‘buck’ sobre su cabeza.

Musician Stevie Wonder attends the NBA game between the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers, Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. From Getty Images.

Nach dem Desaster von Sacramento wurde die Seele der Knickerbocker-Enthusiasten zumindest partiell balsamiert. Zu einem Sieg gegen die Denver Nuggets hat es zwar nicht gereicht, doch ließen sich die Knicks nicht abschlachten ohne Gegenwehr zu leisten. Zugute kam dem Spiel der New Yorker, dass keines der beiden Teams Defense spielte, so als ob Mike D’Antoni und George Karl am Vorabend der Begegnung ein Abkommen darüber unterzeichnet hätten, einen Nicht-Verteidigungs-Pakt wenn man so will.

Wer bereits das zweifelhafte Vergnügen hatte, einige Saisonspiele der New York Knicks gesehen zu haben, der wunderte sich nicht, dass die ersten zwei Schussversuche von jenseits der Dreierlinie abgegeben wurden. Verwundert war man auch nicht darüber, dass Wilson Chandler gleich in der Anfangsphase einen Dreier und einen langer Jumper aus dem Zweipunktbereich auf den Ring setzte. Man wollte sein Gesicht bereits in den Händen vergraben, doch Chandler sollte im späteren Verlauf des Spiels noch Erlösung finden. Auch Chris Duhon trat zur Überraschung aller mit mehr Selbstvertrauen auf und katalysierte eine frühe Führung der Knicks, die bis zum Ablauf des ersten Viertels gehalten werden konnte (30-26). Im Gegensatz zu vorangegangenen Partien, fielen die Würfe in den Korb, genauer gesagt fanden neun der sechs Schüsse „from behind the arc“ ihr Ziel. Zur Halbzeit führten die Nuggets dann mit einem Zähler Vorsprung. Der Grund, wie soll es auch anders sein, die Knicks trafen keinen der sechs Dreier, die sie im zweiten Viertel versuchten. Das schadete den Knicks weniger, als man annehmen könnte, sah sich Denver gezwungen die Dreierlinie besser zu verteidigen. Konsequenterweise entstanden Räume in der Zone, die die Knickerbockers in einfache Punkte aus der Nahdistanz umwandelten.
Mit 7:08 auf der Uhr im letzten Spielabschnitt erkämpften sich die Knicks abermals die Führung, nachdem sie in den Vierteln zuvor stets einem kleinen Rückstand hinterherliefen, doch erfolgreich verhinderten, dass die Denver Nuggets davonziehen. Das vierte Viertel gehörte auf Seiten der Knicks Wilson Chandler, der sieben Punkte in Folge erzielte und ein Offensivfoul von Carmelo Anthony provozierte. Bei den Nuggets hielt J.R. Smith dagegen. Seine 13 Punkte in den letzten 6:24 Minuten sicherten dem Team aus Colorado den Sieg.
Carmelo Anthony netzte zum ersten Mal in seiner Karriere 50 Punkte ein und das ausgerechnet gegen die Knicks. Die Punkte 49 und 50 waren dabei die schwersten. Mit dem Spiel in der Schwebe und nur noch 16 Sekunden Spielzeit versenkte er zwei Freiwürfe, die von „MVP“ Rufen des Publikums begleitet wurden und letztlich den 13. Saisonsieg der Nuggets zementierten. Auch Chauncey Billups überzeugte und hielt die Knicks mit seinen 32 Punkten und acht Assists auf Distanz. Spielentscheident waren die Leistungen der beiden Stars der Denver Nuggets entgegen ihrer beeindruckenden Stats nicht, denn Al Harrington vermochte 41 Punkte und 10 Rebounds entgegenzusetzen und auch David Lee (23 P., 10 R.) lieferte ein gutes Spiel ab. So war es am Ende J.R. Smith, den die Knicks nicht zu verteidigen vermochten, der den vierten Saisonsieg der N.Y. Knicks vereitelte.
Interessant anzumerken ist auch, dass Mike D’Antoni sich dazu entschied seine Rookies – Toney Douglas und Jordan Hill – nicht einzusetzen.

Sad news out of New York City.  Former NY Knicks guard Dean Meminger was caught in a fire at his home.  NY Daily News has the story.

A far different Meminger, now 62 and plagued by years of drug addiction, was recovering Tuesday in a Bronx hospital after a fire possibly started by a crack pipe. Meminger, a key backup on the 1973 championship Knicks, was found unconscious near the bed in his room at a dilapidated SRO on Sunday night. Several crack pipes were found in the room and the hallway of the building on Findlay Ave. in Claremont, FDNY sources said. The drug paraphernalia remained the suspected cause of the four-alarm blaze, although fire marshals were still investigating.

I recall meeting Meminger while I worked on a newsstand in Penn Station. He would stop by to talk basketball before he boarded his train out to the Island. It’d be 9:00AM and my man was eating M & M’s. I hope he recovers.

Lawrence Frank’s NJ Nets team is 0-16 as they get ready to play the LA Lakers tonight in LA. Published reports state (yahoo sports) Frank is going to get fired.  It’s a shame because Frank is one of the hardest working coach’s in the profession. While going through security at Newark airport Saturday afternoon I heard some TSA guys talking about how bad the Nets are in between screening passengers.

“The Nets stink.” one guy said.  “Yeah, but it’s not the coach’s fault, he don’t shoot the ball.” another countered as he observed us loading our belongings in those plastic tubs.

Frank is a New Jersey guy too.

How about two books being on the NY Times bestseller list this week? Bill Simmons ‘The Book of Basketball” and Jackie MacMullan’s, “When the Game was Ours.”

-Coach Finamore

hoops135@hotmail.com

Hardly a week goes by when some pro isn’t whining about his wretched lot and demanding to be traded from a team that doesn’t sufficiently suck up to his skills and whims. Last year Jay Cutler could no longer stomach the Denver Broncos and by continual harangues orchestrated his way to the Chicago Bears.

Whining about your misfortune seems almost a requirement in the NBA, where a decade ago we had the famous case of Latrell Sprewell trying to strangle coach P.J. Carlissimo of the Golden State Warriors. Sprewell was dealt to the New York Knicks and kept playing. The Warriors, in fact, seem to have more than their share of the tempermental. Chris Webber famously bullied his way off the team in the mid-90s, and this year Stephen Jackson wanted out and got it.

It’s the same in baseball and football, where top college players have turned up their noses at some NFL franchises even before the draft.

Could any of us get away with this kind of behavior in our workplaces or communities?

“Sorry, boss, I don’t want to work evenings.”

“Either I decide my own assignments or you’re going to have to put me in a better job at a better location.”

“I’m sorry, officer, but my husband is asleep and isn’t available to answer your questions about how at 2:30 in the morning he ran over the fire hydrant and crashed into the neighbors’ tree.”

This is the point at which I’d normally conclude by saying “Give me a break.” But I’m not eligible for such. I don’t make enough money.

Al Harrington scored 41 points last night for the New York Knicks, but he was out shined by the Nuggets Carmelo Anthony. Melo scored 50 in a 128-125 victory over the Knicks. It was a very exciting game for NBA fans.

~Signing Off~
AGE

It is no secret that LeBron James wants to play on the big stage. In the NBA, there is no bigger stage than Madison Square Garden. James is a very marketable brand and he needs to be in a major media market. He plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers, which is in a small media market.

Last season, LeBron James and his Cavs were expected to win the NBA title. However, they came up short, losing to the Orlando Magic. When he first arrived in the league, critics expected James to have already won championships by the time he reached his sixth season in the league. Currently, he is playing in his seventh season.

Sources who claim to be close to James say that he will leave Cleveland if he does not win the NBA championship this year. Unexpectedly, the team has not played as well as many other teams in the East, so they may not win this year, either. It is no secret that LeBron wants to win a ring and he may leave Cleveland to do just that.

Entering the 2010 free agency period, the New York Knicks have a lot of money to spend. They could easily afford to sign LeBron James to a maximum contract. That is exactly what they intend to do. Their plan is to sign James and assemble a great supporting cast around him. Not only can James make money with the Knicks, he can market himself in the media capital of the world.

In New York, LeBron James could finally win an NBA championship and become the first billionaire athlete.

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.

One of the all time greats of our generation decided to call it a career in the NBA this past week.

Allen Iverson, or better known as AI, was waived by the Memphis Grizzlies and went unclaimed, even after it seemed the New York Knicks and Iverson would have made the perfect marriage.

Iverson, played the majority of his 13 full seasons with the 76ers, lead them to the NBA Finals, however they were beaten by the Los Angeles Lakers, but AI did manage to win the MVP that season.  Iverson, however was never the same or taken the same once Larry Brown split Philadelphia and left AI alone.

Iverson then was traded midseason to Denver back in 2006, where he would team up with Carmello Anthony.  The duo there never panned out so Denver shipped him out to Detroit in 2008, where he took major minutes from Rip Hamilton and Rodney Stuckey.

That pretty much marked the end of AI, as he signed late with Memphis this offseason and only appeared in three games.

An unfortunate ending to a stellar career of a fantastic player.  Here I am not talking about “practice” either.  He finished at 27 points per game for his career.  That is good enough for fifth all time on the scoring list average per game. Trailing only the likes of Michael Jordan and Jerry West to name a few.

His style, toughness, and his ability to carry the 76ers’ teams into the playoffs every season it appeared was something no sports fan will forget or take away from him.

AI, if this is really it, I’d like to say thank you! Thank you for allowing myself and others to witness a great player perform at his highest ability and treat every game as if it were his last.

Stephen A Smith first reported on his web site that 14 year veteran, 10 time All Star Point Guard Allen Iverson is retiring from the National Basketball Association. On a statement posted on Smith’s website, Iverson said that maintains the desire to play and has a whole lot left in the tank but that his retirement will allow him to spend more quality time with his wife and kids.

First of all, it needs to clear that Iverson is neither retiring from good nor we have a Brett Favre soap opera of our own. What happened is that at this stage of his career, AI became impatient with the situation he faces which is rejection. Iverson’s inability to accept that he has changed, the game has changed and that nobody is willing to guarantee starting minutes anymore, made him unhappy and frustrated with what is happening and he tried to take control of it by telling us that he’s still call the shots of his career by announcing that he’s not willing to adjust to any role that is not what he wants. What really has happened is that nobody really wants him, not right now, not like this.

It’s obvious that AI still can play in the highest level and it’s clear that his talent would put any team closer to the winning road however his inability to accept the simple fact of coming off the bench has put him in this position.

Allen Iverson is one of the best players of all time and will be a hall of famer. His individual talent made him dominant in an Era when individual talent was the most important thing which once allowed him to win an MVP award and drive his 76ers to the Finals. But the game has changed, “we” is now more important than “me” nowadays and since “the Answer” can’t adapt to that, he was pushed out of the league. It’s sad to see a first ballot hall of famer done by default.

Check More At: MVN

Not the Right Answer: http://basketballoutsider.wordpress.com/2009/11/20/not-the-right-answer/

Done by Default II?: http://basketballoutsider.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/done-by-default-ii/

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!! Hope everyone gets to eat plenty of turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and pie tonight. 

The Philadelphia 76ers are in a state of turmoil.  For those of you who do not know, the team is currently 5-10 and is struggling to compete with the teams regarded to be the worst among the league.  Case in point, the recent losses to the Memphis Grizzlies and Washington Wizards.  The Wizards game was a heartbreaking 108-107 loss that the Sixers had a chance to win at the last second but fell when Lou Williams’ shot came up short.  Last night was even more disappointing.  The Sixers played what might have been their most impressive game of the year against the Boston Celtics without Williams, who was sidelined with a broken jaw.  Elton Brand also was out with a hamstring injury, which in all honesty was probably a big reason they played great.  The Sixers led for much of the game, taking a six point lead into the fourth quarter at the Garden, only to squander it late in the game thanks to a late Celtic rally led by Paul Pierce, who scored 27 points and drew a key charge down the stretch, and Rajon Rondo, who led the comeback in the final minutes with six points, including a key jumper from the baseline to seal the game.  The Sixers lost to Boston on the road 113-110.  They played their hearts out last night but it wasn’t enough.  Despite the close score it’s still a loss, something the Sixers have been doing a lot of these days.  They have now lost four in a row by a total of 15 points.  They have been in every game but cannot close them out.  Two of the losses are considered “good” losses, as there is no shame in falling to both Cleveland and Boston on the road by a total of 9 points combined.  However, you cannot lose to teams like Memphis and Washington.  There is no excuse for it. 

So while the team has shown some life in the past few days, they have nothing to show for it.  You can play well against Cleveland and Boston but all that really matters is at the end of the game do you have more points than your opponent.  And for the past four games, the Sixers have come up on the short end.  The team stands at 5-10, 3rd place in the division only because the New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets are two of the biggest joke teams the NBA has ever seen.  Coach Jordan is on the hot seat.  He came in and said this team will be better than last year under Tony DiLeo.  As much as I hate to say it, this team was better under DiLeo than it is under Jordan.  He needs to get this team back on track soon.  The good news is that it is still very early in the season.  We’ve played only 15 games out of an 82 game schedule.  The bad news is that the road is only going to get tougher when we start facing the Western Conference teams soon, and with injuries starting to pile on (Marresse Speights, out 6-8 weeks with a torn ligament; Lou Williams, broken jaw), it’s only going to get tougher, and if a turnaround doesn’t happen soon, the Sixers may be in a hole too deep for them to climb out of.

15 Spiele haben die Fans der N.Y. Knicks hinter sich. Nur noch 67 Partien und die Horrorsaison ist zu Ende. Doch was dann? Zunächst einmal der Reihe nach. Bislang konnte man drei gute Spiele des Teams aus dem Big Apple beobachten, alle anderen Begegnungen zeigten uns unerbittlich alle negativen Aspekte auf, die das Team von Mike D’Antoni aufzubieten hat. Die back-to-back Siege gegen die Indiana Pacers und New Jersey Nets ließen ein gewisses Quäntchen Hoffnung aufkeimen und die Niederlage gegen die Boston Celtics vermochte die Aufbruchsstimmung nicht zu dämpfen. Denn trotz des Ärgers über eine unnötige Niederlage, konnte man Freude daran finden, wie sich die Knickerbockers präsentierten. Um ein Haar hätte man drei Siege in Folge einfahren können. Ein schlechter Switch von David Lee, zu zögerliches Herauslaufen von Al Harrington und der Jumpshot von Kevin Garnett zum Ablauf der Spielzeit in der Overtime ließ diesen Traum jedoch zu Sand werden, der viel zu schnell zwischen unseren Fingern entrinn und auf ewig verloren zu sein scheint. Was folgte war die Niederlage gegen die Los Angeles Lakers und jene knochenberstende Pleite gegen die Sacramento Kings, die sich in Form einer traurigen Komödie abspielte.

Gegen den amtierenden Meister zu verlieren ist keine Schande. Dazu noch hinter den feindlichen Linien, wobei angezweifelt werden kann, ob das Spiel im heimischen Madison Square Garden einen anderen Verlauf genommen hätte. Wahrscheinlich nicht. Gegen jene apathischen Knickerbockers war es für Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol und Andrew Bynum ein Leichtes das „W“ in den Spielplan einzutragen und den Knicks ein weiteres „L“ hinzuzufügen. Locker schenkte Kobe der Verteidigung 34 Punkte ein, wobei er keine Schwierigkeiten hatte 14 seiner 20 Korbversuche im Netz der Knicks unterzubringen. Am Ende war der 100-90 Sieg der Lakers keine Sensation, denn mal ehrlich, kein Anhänger New Yorks hat damit gerechnet, dass man einen Sieg aus dem STAPLES Center stehlen könnte. Abgehakt.
Das Trauerspiel entfaltete seine volle Wirkung erst gegen die Sacramento Kings und ich erhebe hiermit Anspruch darauf, dass mit die Organisation und jeder einzelne Spieler sowie der Trainerstab Entschädigung dafür zahlt, dass ich mir diese Partie ansehen musste.
Mit der Ausnahme von David Lee, wie so oft, gelang es allen Spielern des Kaders zukünftige Free Agents davon zu überzeugen, dass sie nicht einmal mit dem Gedanken spielen sollten in New York einen Vertrag zu unterzeichnen. Solange die Hoffnung der Franchise auch nur zu einem kleinen Prozentsatz auf den Schultern von Wilson Chandler liegt, starre ich unendlicher Dunkelheit entgegen, einem Meer von unbeschreiblicher Größe voller Dunkelheit. Chandler ist nicht die Erklärung für die Misere der Knicks, aber seine Leistung ist exemplarisch und dient als Indikator für das, was mit den Knicks nicht stimmt. Wahrscheinlich ist Wilson Chandler allergisch dagegen Defense zu spielen und sein Antihistaminikum ist es, so viele schlechte Schüsse auf des Gegners Korb abzufeuern, wie nur möglich. Das gilt übrigens auch für den Rest des Rosters. Bei seiner Schussauswahl kann man sich jedoch nicht darüber wundern, dass lediglich sechs seiner 26 Würfe über die letzte zwei Spiele gesehen, ihr Ziel fanden. Nehmt euch an dieser Stelle einen Taschenrechner und seht selbst welch magische Zahl die Trefferquote des Forwards repräsentiert. Gegen die Kings traf das Team kollektiv nur 38,5 % seiner Würfe und ließ 39 (!!) Würfe von jenseits der Dreipunktelinie los.
Die Leistung der Sacramento Kings soll nicht dadurch geschmälert werden, dass hier nur von der Unfähigkeit der Knicks die Rede ist, aber faktisch schlägt sich New York bisweilen selbst, der Gegner hilft bei der Demontage lediglich mit. Dennoch war die Leistung von Donte Greene beachtenswert, auch wenn es ihm seine Gegenspieler nicht allzu schwer machten. Greene erzielte 24 Punkte, verteilte fünf Vorlagen, holte sich vier Boards und blockte sechs Würfe. Auch Rookie Point Guard Tyreke Evans nutze die Gelegenheit, um sein Talent zu zeigen. Am Ende verzeichnete er 17 Punkte, elf Rebounds und sieben Assists. 50 Rebounds und eine Trefferquote von 48,3 % aus dem Feld stellten den ungefährdeten Sieg der Kings sicher, der mit 111-97 nicht zu Unrecht so hoch ausfiel.
Folgende Schlüsse lassen sich an dieser Stelle ziehen: die Spieler im Kader der Knicks sind schlecht, das dürfte geklärt sein. Auch wenn sie vermeintlich einiges an Talent besitzen, so können sie es momentan nicht zeigen. Jeder spielt für sich selbst, keiner für den anderen und die Aufgaben, die alle erfüllen sollten, auch wenn sie vielleicht kein Spaß machen, vernachlässigen die Knicks nur allzu gerne. Beim Rebound wird weder ausgeblockt, noch richtig hochgesprungen. Überhaupt stehen die Spieler die meiste Zeit bloß herum, um zuzusehen, wie sich die Gegner den orangenen Ball mit dem Spalding-Schriftzug krallen. Nach Ballverlusten und Defensivrebounds der gegnerischen Mannschaft zurückzulaufen, das schaffen die Knickerbockers auf solch lustlose und lethargische Weise, wie kein anderes Team der NBA. Man bewahre mich davor noch mehr über das Defensivverhalten zu schreiben. Doch erschreckend schlecht ist auch die Offense. Die Wurfauswahl ist so schlecht, dass ich auch darauf nicht weiter eingehen möchte, was unteranderem daran liegt, dass es sich die Mannschaft spart, den offenen Mann zu suchen und der Spieler, der das Spielgerät in der nächstbesten Position in die Hände bekommt drückt einfach ab. So simpel ist das Spielsystem von Mike D’Antoni.
Es sei mir verziehen, dass ich nach wie vor an der Qualität des Trainers zweifle. Sicher, die Spieler stehen auf dem Court und spielen Basketball, nicht der Coach. An ihm ist es jedoch aus einem Haufen Individuen ein T-E-A-M zu formen.
Mit dieser Saison kann man wohl oder über abschließen, der perfekte Zeitpunkt also, um nur noch jene Spieler plus David Lee einzusetzen, die nächste Saison auch noch einen Kontrakt besitzen. Unerklärlich ist mir deshalb, warum Toney Douglas, der zu den positiven Erscheinungen der aktuellen Spielzeit zu zählen ist, so wenig auf dem Feld steht. Gleiches gilt für Jordan Hill. Auch in diesem Punkt steht D’Antoni in der Kritik, denn er vergibt Einsatzzeit an die, die man über 2009-10 hinaus ohnehin nicht in New York sehen möchte.
Kehren wir nochmal zur Frage zurück, was nach den verbleibenden 67 Saisonspielen passieren wird oder überhaupt kann. Zum einen haben die New York Knicks keinen Draftpick, was bedeutet, dass man kein neues Talent nach New York holen wird. Die Utah Jazz können sich also über jede Niederlage der Knicks freuen, denn der Lottery Pick gehört so gut wie ihnen. Mit besonderem Dank richten wir uns an dieser Stelle an Isiah Thomas. Desweiteren kann man sich momentan nicht vorstellen, dass überhaupt irgendein hochkarätiger Free Agent es jemals in Erwägung ziehen könnte für die Knickerbockers zu spielen. Ich würde LeBron James, Chris Bosh und wie sie nicht alle heißen persönlich davon abraten in den Big Apple zu kommen, wenn ihnen etwas an ihrer Karriere liegt. Sollte es Donnie Walsh doch irgendwie gelingen, entgegen meiner Erwartung versteht sich, die Knicks so zu sanieren, dass man in absehbarer Zeit wieder eine Chance auf die Playoffs hat, kaufe ich mir einen Hut, um diesen im Anschluss an das vollbrachte Wunder zu ziehen.

After thirteen years in the NBA, Allen Iverson has called it quits. There was once a time when Iverson was the face of the NBA. He was one of the best scorers that the league ever had, but there was no market for him during the free agent season.

Reluctantly, the Memphis Grizzlies did sign him. Despite their signing of the aging, but skilled, guard, he was unhappy on the team and the team was unhappy with him. After only three games with Memphis, they released him from his contract.

There had been rumors of the New York Knicks being interested in signing the former MVP. Those rumors proved to only be rumors when executives from the team said that they are trying to build towards the future. In the end, they passed on Iverson.

Just like during the summer, there was speculation that he may either be signed by the Charlotte Bobcats or the Miami Heat. The Heat had a big plan for the summer of 2009, but everything had to be in place. If that had been the case, Iverson would have signed with Miami.

Now, the Bobcats were in need of a star and a scorer during the summer. There are some who hope that rookie guard, Gerald Henderson, can be that as the season progresses. As it currently stands, he receives little playing time on a team with six guards. Fans and critics, alike want Henderson to have more playing time.

If the Bobcats were to have signed Allen Iverson, it would be a slap in the face to Henderson and his supporters. As a result, Charlotte never did reach out and sign Iverson. Head coach, Larry Brown, did hope that the he could join the team in some fashion. Something could have been worked out, but it would probably take months.

Not wanting to go through the trouble, Allen Iverson announced that he was simply going to retire from the NBA. It was only a few years ago, before the explosion of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Kobe Bryant, that Allen Iverson was the face of this league. Now, in 2009, no one wants him, so Iverson has retired.

So “The Answer” is retiring and I have yet to figure out what the question was. 

Maybe it was “what self-serving player is going out exactly as he deserves, unwanted?”  Or “What supremely talented player never won anything in the NBA?”

Then there’s “what knucklehead couldn’t be bothered to see that actually practicing helps the whole team included himself?”.   Maybe it’s “who’s blowing a chance to redefine his career by refusing to accept that he might win a title by accepting a lesser role now that he’s 107 years old?”

But ultimately, if I had to put big money on it, I think the question is “who is too much of a pain in the ass to be worth it anymore?”

Ahhh. Yes.  That easily could be Allen Iverson.

Iverson is not exactly Stephon Marbury, but he’s learning a similar tough lesson.  In life or at least in NBA life, people will put up with you if you’re a difficult personality so long as you’ve got the talent that makes it worth dealing with your baggage.

When the lowly Grizzlies and desperate Knicks decide that Allen Iverson is no longer worth it, that’s the answer  that only A.I. can answer for.

Siento la repetición, pero es inevitable. Artest abre la boquita y suelta alguna perla al hiperespacio. Si no han visto el vídeo de abajo (el de las leches en la Palace de Detroit, no, el otro), les recomiendo que echen un vistazo a los pectorales depilados de Ron-Ron. Alguno en Nueva York estaría encantado de clavarle en el tatuaje izquierdo un puñal ‘asín’ de gordote. Why? Qué ha hecho este chico ahora? Pues porque este newyorker (de Queenbrigde para más señas) le ha dicho a la cara a los demás newyorkers que los free agents (es decir, su amado Lebron James, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudamire, Dwight Wade, Joe Jhonson…) no quieren ir a los Knicks por ‘miedo’ a la crisis eterna del equipo, la under pressure que cantaría Queen con Bowie, y el plan abuelito criticón que caracteriza a la grada y los medios de la Gran Manzana. Solo hay que verle la cara a Spike Lee. De paso, comenta que su máxima ‘ilu’ este veranito era largarse para la casa de mamá para estar cerca de St. John’s y Rucker Park (asiduo verano tras verano) y reconducir a sus Knickerbokers hacia la victoria (claro, Artest es el ‘alter ego’ del run and gun del amigo Anthony), pero que ni se preocupó en llamar a Donnie Walsh, por cierto, mandamás de los Pacers cuando sucedió la batalla de Detroit (ahora sí que tienen que mirar el maldito video). Mejor largarme a la otra punta del país y de la NBA (de ser último a ganar un anillo). No sabe nada el chico.

Artest, en St John's

La lengua la suelta Artest en el New York Post durante la práctica de tiro previa al ‘chorreo’ que los Lakers le dieron a los propietarios del Madison. Artest se calzó un par de triples con chulería y ademanes posteriores que cada día me recuerdan más a ‘Cruela Deville’ Dennis Rodman. ¿Será por eso que muero por sus huesos? Dejemos este rollito Ronsexual para centrarnos en la rajada. Translation: “Pienso que deben dejar se estar asustados y venirse a Nueva York. Estan acojonados por la presión de los medios. A mí me gusta, pero, perdonen mi lenguaje, que les (pitido) a los medios y que les (pitido) a todos los que ponen presión sobre ellos”. Hay clarito. ‘In your face’. Continue, continue, el juego. “Quieres que te diga que he escuchado últimamente. Que tienen miedo a hacer un mal partido, a la reacción de los fans. Si alguien realmente viene a los Knicks, tiene que ser capaz de tener corazón”. Después de explayarse sin pelos en la lengua, Ron lanzó al aire su deseo de que Lebron ponga sus preciados piececitos sobre Manhattan. “Sé que él podría hacerlo. Sería muy grande, muy grande ver a Los Angeles y Nueva York enfrentándose por el campeonato y que se quede en Nueva York”.  Por supuesto, para chulo mi pirulo. Qué a los demás les entra caquita de jugar para los Knicks. Pues yo no, qué pasa. Y si quereis os lo demuestro cuando sea (abonando un futuro contrato). Por cierto, el reportaje recuerda como los Knicks decidieron apostar por Frederic Weis y desechar la opción de draftear al ícono de la universidad de Nueva York que se fue para Chicago. “Si yo quisiera jugar en los Knicks, yo no sentiría esa presión. La gente tiene miedo de venir. Ya sabemos lo locos que están los neoyorquinos, la presión de los medios tras un mal partido. Hay que estar preparado y yo lo estoy, para no pensar en estar cosas, no preocuparse en los abucheos de la grada y, si tu pierdes, estar preparado para seguir jugando”. Por si acaso, no se cierra las puertas, aunque sea en un futuro lejano. “Amo Nueva York y cuando termine mi carrera me gustaría pertenecer a esta organización, quizá como entrenador”.