We (Only) Know Drama

There was nothing more telling about tonight's Heat vs Cavaliers game than what happened before it even started. TNT, the station broadcasting LeBron's return to Cleveland, decided to air a rerun of "Bones" - a show that roughly 9 people have ever watched - instead of running a massive pregame extravaganza. This angered sports fans, who on most days, love to poke fun at ESPN's attempts to make even the most mundane of events into all-day telethons.

But that's the kind of fervor that surrounded this game. Everybody wanted something. Some wanted LeBron to fall flat on his face. Others wanted to see a historical showing from The King. And then there were those who wanted blood; to see Cleveland fans riot or throw beers onto the court.

One thing is clear: nobody tuned in to watch basketball.

It was a casual fan and sports writer nightmare; a Heat blowout, where LeBron neither destroyed the court nor failed to show. He did what LeBron does, although, at times, he was so dominant that you had to feel he was crushing Cavs defenders on purpose. Scoring 38 points in three quarters, he could have put up 50+ if he was so inclined*, but the LeBron we now know did what was expected: sit out the final quarter of a meaningless regular season game.

*A prominent, nationally syndicated sports radio host Tweeted that Michael Jordan would've gone for the 50+, alluding to the fact that James doesn't have it in him. I casually tweeted back that rooting for 50+ is rooting for entertainment, not basketball. He then sent me a direct message stating "I forgot more about sports during lunch than you've learned in your entire life". The lesson, as always: where you stand on LeBron is serious stuff, and that most people in the sports business are pricks.

This failed to satisfy a soul except for the hardcore NBA fan. The American public that drove up TNT's ratings Thursday night wanted something extraordinary, a mix between Kobe hanging 81 points on Toronto and Ron Artest jumping into the crowd and clocking a Pistons fan. They wanted entertainment that had little to do with sports. A reality show where either LeBron or Cleveland leaves the island alive. For things to remain the same on Friday morning would be a travesty.

Sorry, fair-weather NBA fans, nothing to see here. No drama, no violence, no answers. Just a December game where the home crowd had a little more juice than usual. Sorry you were strung along by the majority of the sports media, who led you to believe you were to be a Witness of something greater than you were actually going to see.

Now you know how it feels to be a Cavs fan, because this is likely the last NBA game you'll watch with interest before June. I'll give you one more look at LeBron to vent your frustrations. Then you have to get over it.

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Obey Your Master

I am white. Like, really white. My skin resembles that of Edward's in "Twilight". I like heavy metal and whiskey. My tattoos have colors. So it goes without saying that 99% of the time, I cannot stand and am vehemently against the words that come out of Reverend Jesse Jackson's mouth.

Let me present to you, that rare occurrence of the 1%.

I know I am in the minority here (no pun intended), when I say that I actually agree with Jackson's take on LeBron James. Well, not completely. Let me explain.

In case you didn't hear, the Rev. had this to say about Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, and his tirade over LeBron choosing Miami over Cleveland:

He speaks as an owner of LeBron and not the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers. His feelings of betrayal personify a slave master mentality. He sees LeBron as a runaway slave. This is an owner employee relationship - between business partners - and LeBron honored his contract.

Ah, the race card. Expect nothing less. You also should expect each and every individual in the country to come out to bash Jackson, and his love affair with making any issue about race. Of course, the LeBron James Fiasco (as I like to call it) has little to do with racism. But the idea of sports owners having a "slave master mentality" hit a chord with me. It made me think. Is he right?

I don't mean to suggest that owners think of their players as slaves. But why is it that Dan Gilbert reacted so strangely and violently to Lebron leaving? I am of the opinion that Gilbert took the whole thing personally, as if James was saying to him: "You are not good enough. You made me do this. You cannot run a business. I am better than you". And while I'm sure Mr. Gilbert has heard this before in his lifetime, I doubt he's heard it from a 25 year old black man who just proclaimed it in front of ten million people.

The problem here is role reversal, not just between blacks and whites, but of all owners and players. Long gone are the days of teams just buying and trading players, like, ahem, slaves. Now you must kiss the feet of King James. And in Gilbert's case, you might get kicked in the teeth afterwards. That is a hard pill for a rich and powerful man to swallow. So instead Gilbert spit back at the King. Wrong move, Dan.

I suspect what Rev. Jackson was trying to say, albeit poorly, was that Dan Gilbert felt entitled have LeBron James, a sentiment echoed by every sports fan in the state of Ohio. And why would he/they feel that way? It is a fact that Cleveland horribly managed their team, failing to put anything remotely resembling a championship roster around LeBron. So this sense of entitlement means that Ohioans believed that James belonged to them, whether he liked it or not; that it was not his choice to not want to play in Cleveland. They had already written his script. But LeBron freed himself of what they wanted and what we as sports fans wanted. He went after what he wanted.

Granted, when you consider the mouthpiece those quotes came from, and how scared Americans get when race is interjected in any conversation (especially sports), the common reaction will be "there he goes again...". But I see the validity in Jackson's overall point. LeBron James is an athlete who may have tarnished his legacy and his hero-status in his hometown to win basketball games. Not only that, but he rubbed it in our faces as well. He did exactly what everyone wanted him not to do. And we responded with disgust that he would dare not play by our rules.

But we play by LeBron's, and any other star athlete's rules now. He has set the precedent. He is our master.

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Defending LeBron

Wow, I guess everyone hates LeBron James. How could you not? The guy gets nothing but praise, yet couldn't win a championship with Antwan Jamison and Mo Williams. And instead of just choosing a team to sign with this summer, he forced teams to come to him, and -gasp- show him why he should sign there. And when all of the hype got to the boiling point, and it seemed everybody was fed up with the speculation, he had the gall to tell us all the exact time and place we would learn his new destination.

Can you sense my sarcasm?

I'd like to thank the sports fans of America for completely ruining the Summer of LeBron. I've been excited for this for awhile now, just waiting to immerse myself in talks about sign and trades, cap room and player movement. And for the most part, it was as good as I thought it would be. But the misdirected hate towards LeBron has soured it. I can't take it anymore. It's disgusting and completely ill-informed.

Take Yahoo NBA analyst Adrian Wojnarowski, who wrote the following:

The Championship of Me comes crashing into a primetime cable infomercial that LeBron James and his cronies have been working to make happen for months, a slow, cynical churning of manufactured drama that sports has never witnessed. As historic monuments go, this is the Rushmore of basketball hubris and narcissism. The vacuous star for our vacuous times. All about ‘Bron and all about nothing.

James is throwing a few foosball tables at Boys & Girls Clubs, an empty gesture out of the empty superstar. He’s turned free agency into the title of our times, a preening pageant of fawning, begging and pleading. Hard-working people are dragged into municipalities and told to hold signs, chant scripted slogans and beg a diva who doesn’t care about them to accept a $100 million contract.

This just about sums it up; everything is LeBron's fault. He has "dragged" people into this, made them "beg". Except, you know, he hasn't really done anything. He was in the position to ask NBA teams to pitch to him. Those teams were more than happy to oblige. Once the media showed fans where these meetings would be held, they took it upon themselves to come out in droves and show James their support. Wow, what a monster!

Writers like Wojnarowski are who you should direct your disdain towards. He has spent all this time regurgitating the same speculations and rumors everybody else has, and is getting paid for it. His Twitter account has gained in popularity. He has, in fact, talked it about more than most LeBron supporters. He is a hypocrite and is partly responsible for Thursday's circus.

The truth remains that James' decision is the single most important event concerning the future of the NBA. That's why the media is covering this in the first place. And it is they, along with Mr. Wojnarowski, who have beaten it into us 24/7 ever since the end of Game Seven. All any NBA fan needed was the rumors and inside information. And yes, ESPN might have taken it further, but it was the naysayers who first started talking about non-basketball related issues, like what LeBron was wearing during these interviews.

Don't be mad at LeBron going through the motions of what is not only a huge decision for his life, but for the welfare of the league of which he plays in. The NBA with him in New York is a different NBA than if he stays in Cleveland. And mind you, this is a 25 year old making this decision. You were probably doing Jager-bombs with chubby college girls when you were his age. So shut it.

If you don't like how this whole thing has played out, remember: LeBron has no control on how he is perceived. He holds a lot of power, but as this hate-fest has showed, he cannot shape our opinions. That's what newspapers and television do. And what New Media and the internet age does now, is break apart our heroes and beat them down into dust. We no longer want our athletes to be bigger than life, rather, we want somebody to show us why they are no better than we are.

Well, LeBron is better than you. I'm guessing he's better than you in just about everything. He is definitely more accomplished as a 25 year old than most people, more mature as well. His response to people saying enough was to push this whole fiasco into one hour on a Thursday night. He's giving us what we want without dragging it out any longer.

Save your hate for the media. There was a time when they would champion the best, now they want to become part of the story. Don't let 'em.

Just know that when this is all over, James' decision will still matter in the NBA while the media's coverage of this last few weeks will be long forgotten. The King will write his own book. Let's just hope Adrian Wojnarowski doesn't write one any time soon.

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The Future Is Now

Since young stars such as LeBron James and Dwayne Wade took over, the league has grown in popularity. As I have been saying for a while now, basketball will replace baseball as the #2 sport in America, and will one day replace football as #1. Every monumental change such as this must start somewhere, and while the seeds were already sown, we will all look back to one day as Day One of the New NBA.

That day is July 1st, 2010.

Tomorrow, the biggest free agency period in the history of sports will start. LeBron, Wade, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson, Carlos Boozer, David Lee - and now Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Dirk Nowitzki - will all be eligible to choose where their careers will end up. Never before has a sport had so many stars being courted at the same time. With James, he is the future of the league. And where he goes, the NBA goes with him.

This is something the NFL and MLB doesn't have. For whatever reason, NFL free agency is rarely filled with big names. The Bradys and Mannings of the world are set for their careers until they become too old and are given up on or they simply retire. In baseball, only the big market teams have any chance of signing star players.

I know what you're thinking. With LeBron's suitors being Miami, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, isn't that just like baseball? The difference with the NBA is that big markets don't have the edge because of money, but because of venue. Those are just the places that big names want to play in. You can't fix that. Well, I guess James could if he stayed in Cleveland, but that seems unlikely at this point.

But the fact that the biggest basketball star since Michael Jordan not only could choose a small market, but would get paid more money by doing so, is what makes the NBA so great, and this summer so important. By staying with the Cavaliers, LeBron could effectively change the league. Wherever he goes, that city will have the biggest spotlight. All of a sudden, Miami could be basketball land. Now, that is power.

With football and baseball, one guy doesn't make that much of a difference. But in basketball, in changes everything. It makes the league much more volatile and entertaining. By adding James, New Jersey could go from one of the worst teams in NBA history to a favorite to win the East. One CNBC analyst estimated that LeBron's worth in an uncapped league could be manifested in a $500 million contract. $500 million!!!

I am telling you, the NBA is about to assume some serious staying power in American sports. Baseball is dying quickly. Considering the country's growing minority population, I would seriously want to sell my MLB stock and buy the NBA's while it's still relatively low.

Unless, that is, LeBron James decides to stay in Cleveland.

I could see a scenario where he stays put, and the remaining free agents scatter to various teams and the league loses some luster. Not that it will kill the league, but the progress of its popularity might be put on hold for a little while. But if King James becomes the King of New York? Well, get used to hearing his name a lot.

If you're not an NBA fan, but still reading, I implore you: BECOME A FAN NOW. Get in when the gettin's good. This is the perfect time to join. The future of the NBA is about the be formed. America's #2 sporting marriage is about to get engaged. Don't miss the reception.

Fireworks are coming on July 1st this year.

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The People vs. LeBron James

If there's one thing that everyone in this country has in common, it is this: nobody knows what they want. This rings true in Who-like loudness when it comes to sports. We want Tiger Woods to be more human, but cry foul when he makes human mistakes. We bash Michael Jordan for his obsessive competitiveness off the court, but laud him for it with the ball in his hand. We never know what we want out of our athletes.

Really, we've asked for them to be perfect. To be funny but not cartoonish, confident but not arrogant, not a thug but also not smug, etc. Well, the NBA has this superstar. You might have heard of him. His name is LeBron James.

LeBron is as perfect as any athlete you will ever see. On the court, he scores, he dishes the ball, he hustles on defense. He simply makes his entire team better. Take Kobe Bryant off the Lakers, and they are still a very good team. Take LeBron off the Cavs, and you go from #1 team in the league to picking in the lottery every year.

But off the court is where he excels even more dramatically. There have been no rumors of drugs, alcohol abuse, treating people like crap or anything that could destroy his character. In an age where we are obsessed with the sex lives of celebrities, have you ever heard of one story about James with multiple groupies like Wilt or hitting up bars for skanks like Roethlisberger? None.

While I'm sure LeBron has employed an entire staff devoted from keeping his name strictly on the sports page, let's be honest here - you can't hide anything from the internet. If he truly was a ladies' man or a party animal, we would know. The truth is, James is a basketball phenom who is not only charismatic and likeable, but a stand up guy who knows his responsibilities.

And America hates this. Why else would we eat up scandals like Woods and Sandra Bullocks'? We love it when people that have more than us fall from grace. Though we pine for celebrities with just a smidgen of respectability, when someone like that actually comes around, we punish them for it.

First, there was Lebron James getting dunked on by a college kid, and the ensuing "controversy" of Nike stealing all documented footage. Either you have never heard of this event or you completely forgot about it. That's because it is, and was, a non-story. But at the time, it fueled the agendas of people like Skip Bayless, who put all their eggs in the "LeBron will never be the greatest basketball player" basket before he even entered the league.

Then there was the scandal of James not shaking hands with the Orlando Magic after being ousted in last year's Eastern Conference Finals. I wrote at the time and then reiterated my point a few months later how this was Jordan Part II. It's just being a competitive guy. Now we think of LeBron as a great guy and an ambassador of the league. Try again, haters.

Try, they did. Leading into this year's playoffs, James was railed for sitting out games. One writer even went as far as saying he owes his fans a refund and refused to vote for him as MVP. Now with LeBron banged up and the entire city of Cleveland holding their breaths for the series against Boston, let me ask the question: do you think he should have played all of those meaningless games?

Anything short of a 40/15/15 throughout the playoffs will leave the door open for people to call him out. The facts are there. He is the best player on the court and a truly respectable human being off it. This is what we all wanted. What more can LeBron James possibly do? And don't say win a championship, because if it's not against the Lakers with a healthy Kobe on the floor, the excuses will keep coming.

He is the NBA evolved. Get over it.

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The Importance of Greg Oden's Penis

Alright, probably not the most tasteful headline I've come up with. But Greg Oden's manhood is all over the internet, and damn, it bothers me. Not that he is hung like a genetically altered horse (he's a 7-foot black man, what did you expect?), but that he is getting so much crap from just about everybody. I say don't blame Greg Oden; blame the wretched bitch that posted it on the internet.

We have grown so accustomed that whatever we do, no matter how mundane, has the potential to wind up on YouTube or Facebook. The lesson we've learned seems to be to not do anything that could possibly incriminate us in any way. Which, you know, is impossible. We all do things that we wish nobody will ever know. Drunken fights/sex, racy photos, anything I wrote pre-2008, etc. Washing away the evidence isn't the answer, washing away the lust for fame and money is.

Look, I once had a girlfriend who moved halfway across the country for school. I would've killed for some sexy pictures or a webcam strip show in the year she was away. Most people will think she was smart for not coming through with either, since we aren't together anymore and I would surely post those pictures on some amateur porn website. Except, I wouldn't have, because I am not vindictive and actually care about people just enough not to completely ruin their lives. And I generally hate people (especially ex-girlfriends).

Greg Oden, the chick from High School Musical, pick any victim of the internet you like. There's nothing wrong with sending a significant other pictures of your birthday suit. There is, however, something very distasteful and disturbing about letting everyone in the world view something you were given in confidence. It says much more about that person than whoever snapped the photos.

Of course, Oden can't really complain. His cell phone is probably blowing up right now with gorgeous women wanting a little bit of his lotta bit. But I don't see it as immature or dumb on Oden's part. It just shows that his ex is a sick and twisted person. The fact that people see no problem in the trend of posting private pictures is way more alarming than anything below Greg Oden's waist. We should be condemning the woman in this case, but people don't like to condemn private citizens. Celebrities can never be a victim unless it's a celeb vs celeb crime.

We live in a very sick society.

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The Book You Should Read, But I Won't

I care about the NBA. I care about its growth and its future as a major American sport. I most certainly care about the integrity of the game, but I also understand that it is the most horrendously officiated sport there is. Make no mistake, while the MLB playoffs shed a light of fantastic incompetence, they can't even touch professional basketball when it comes to bad refs. I also like to read non-fiction and crave information. So Tim Donaghy's new book, Personal Foul, should be right up my alley. But I'm not going to read it.

In case you didn't know, Donaghy is the referee who the FBI found had been gambling on NBA games. Now he is trying to make his money back by promoting his new book, which tells tales of refs making bets with each other on who would call the first technical foul or even purposely extending playoff series. These are all things that I believe happen in the NBA. Unfortunately, Donaghy has no credibility with me. Like Jose Canseco before him, Donaghy just seems like someone riding the wave of newly found information for his own glory.

It's the same reason I don't watch Fox News or read the New York Times; I don't want to be tricked into believing a false reality. Those news publications have lied enough that I can no longer trust them as a news source. Sure, most of what they say or print is probably factual, but it is simply not worth the real news to ingest the "factually incorrect" information which is surely there. Donaghy is a proven liar and degenerate, so there is sure to be a lot of misinformation in whatever he's saying.

However, if you are not an NBA fan, I actually suggest reading it. Don't get caught up in all the little details, just understand the politics of the game and see how professional basketball really works. One of the reasons I never got into hockey or golf is because I don't really understand the sports. Yes, I know the rules and how the games are played, but nobody can teach you the in and outs, the game behind the game. I suspect this is what Personal Foul conveys, probably by accident.

I already know the story. But if you don't know why you've never gotten into the NBA, this might be an instructional manual. The sport is truly dirty, which is why I love it. It's the way all sports used to be. Not overprotective like the NFL or underevolved like the MLB, but just five black guys with a ball and three white guys who bet on them. It's actually kind of racist, but honest all the same.

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The (Un)Importance of Coaching

One of the biggest frustrations in my daily life is trying to persuade my friends and family to watch the NBA. Somewhere between 99.9 and 100.00 percent of the people I know are fans of college basketball, yet have no desire to watch professional hoops. The majority of them have a valid reason: they're fans of Kansas basketball. Who wouldn't follow a team who has championship aspirations ever year? But even all the fans of K-State, Missouri, Witchita State or whoever still haven't made the jump. I used to think it's because Kansas City doesn't have a team, but we haven't had a baseball team in two decades yet they still watch the World Series. I think the problem is coaching.

No coach does less than a baseball manager. One or two pitching changes, perhaps a pinch-hitter, and that's it. Perhaps tweaking the lineup every now or then (or if you're Trey Hillman, every single day). Yet the coaching is still present. We know when Joe Girardi is over-managing, it's tangible.

In the NFL, coaching probably matters less than it does in baseball, yet the perception is that coaching is the end-all be-all of professional football. But if it matters that much, how come Bill Belichick's tenure with the Cleveland Browns was unsuccessful yet his reign in New England is nearly historical? Well, the Browns didn't have Tom Brady, for one. Neither did they have the Lennon-McCartney duo of Belichick-Pioli. I think it's safe to say that Belichick's job as part-General Manager has had more to do with the Patriots' success than his ability to coach. It's all about the players, and when The Hoodie finally got full rights to his own, it ended with three rings.

The NBA is different in this regard: not only does coaching matter very little, but its common knowledge. Sure, a coach can single-handedly kill a team (see: Karl, George). But to actually make a team better? Doc Rivers coached the Celtics to a 24-58 record in 2006-2007, second worst in the league. In 2007-2008, the Celtics were 66-16. That's 42 more wins in one year. The difference? Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. The point, as always, is that talent is the most important factor in a team's success, not the coaching staff.

This is crucial because most fans want to be a coach. Fantasies of playing quarterback are just that, fantasies. We couldn't do it if given the opportunity. But every fan thinks they could coach a team. Aw, we shouldn't have tried a field goal there! I would've taken Pedro out an inning earlier, this guy is a boob! This is what you hear from Joe Sports Fan.

Coaching in the NBA is different. It's the players' game. Whereas baseball and football and all college sports are (seemingly) dictated by coaches, the NBA is dominated by LeBron, Kobe and Howard. They are the ones who make the difference. The best coaches right now (Phil Jackson, Gregg Popovich) aren't known for their mastery of the Xs and Os. It's their ability to bring personalities and egos together. They excel in psychology and philosophy, whereas most of the sports arena is dominated by math and statistics. And even with that being said, all of Jackson's rings where with guys named Jordan, Pippen, Bryant and O'Neal. Philosophy means nothing if Kirk Heinrich is running the point.

Which brings me to Byron Scott, who today was fired by the New Orleans Hornets after a 3-6 start. On a poll on ESPN.com, 36,040 people voted nearly 3-1 in disapproval of Scott's firing. The reason being that injuries and bad personnel decisions were to blame, not Scott. Which is true. But then what, I ask, is the point of a coach? If he can't make the team better when things go wrong, then what is his purpose? That, I suspect, is to hold things together when things are going right. To not make mistakes is the only way to do anything right.

Pat Williams once said coaching in the NBA is like a nervous breakdown with a paycheck. Now, who wants that job? I feel this is why I can't seem to convince my fellow KU fans to jump to the NBA. Unless you're a basketball junkie (Kansas fans are mostly winning junkies if anything), there's really nothing in it for you. There simply is nothing to fantasize about. With the growing popularity of fantasy sports, I do believe that the element of being involved is the #1 reason to watch sports anymore. Luckily, there are enough true basketball fans to keep the NBA alive and well. It's just not that none of them seem to live in Kansas City.

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You Can't Always Get What You Want, Part Two

When LeBron James left the court after the end of the Eastern Conference Finals, refusing to shake hands or even saying a word to the champion Orlando Magic, the first thing that came to mind was: this reminds me of Michael Jordan. In June, I wrote, "I think it's clear that if Michael Jordan was playing in today's game, his legendary competitiveness would be chalked up to thuggery and selfishness." Well, in the aftermath of Jordan's Hall of Fame induction speech, I have to say, I was right.

ESPN's Rick Reilly, the posterboy of a dying style of sportswriting that once made the Sports Illustrated writer an icon, called Jordan's speech "tactless, egotistical and unbecoming." These also happen to be three of the qualities that made Michael Jordan the undisputed king of basketball. As Reilly points out in his own article, former Bulls assistant coach Johnny Bach has said about Jordan, "This guy is a killer. He's a cold-blooded assassin. It's not enough for him to beat you. He wants you dead."

That's what it takes sometimes to be the greatest ever. Jordan never quit trying to win. He still doesn't want to quit, which is why he seemed so upset during his induction; going into the Hall signifies the end, and for the best competitor the game has ever known, there is no end.

But nobody wants to hear it. Jordan's speech was disgusting and disrespectful. The irony, of course, is that when Jordan was a player, the most common criticism slung his way was that he was too corporate, too fake. People wanted the real Jordan. Well, be careful for what you wish for. You were given to real MJ, and you rebelled against it.

Or did you? You see, this shouldn't have caught Mr. Reilly off guard. In an SI column in June of 1993, Reilly wrote, "Whatever searing obsession is inside Jordan driving him to be the most dauntless basketball player on earth, does not suddenly leak out of his Nikes when he leaves the court." Seems as if Reilly has gotten old, as he is doing the same thing with Tiger Woods.

Don't get mad at Jordan, Woods or James for not being able to shut off the valve of competitiveness that got them where they are today. The best of the best are wired differently. It's a trait that is applauded when they are athletes but shunned in real life, as Reilly has properly demonstrated. So don't be surprised when after asking year after year for athletes to come out of their shell, you find that their real self is less than socially acceptable. It usually is for people with losing mentalities.

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Where Is My Mind?

Twittering during games, protecting your image, tabloid deaths and bashing Americans. Yeah, I got a few thoughts.

No Fun

Chad Ochocinco is getting on my nerves. You want to putt the football with a pylon? OK. Create your own Hall of Fame jacket? Fine. I don't really care. But now he wants to use Twitter during games. This has gone too far.

It's one thing to be the class clown, the joker. But is it too much to ask these millionaires to have just a tad bit of focus for three hours a week? This isn't a product of the No Fun League, it's a starve for attention. Most critics of the NFL's policies complain that the players aren't allowed to have enough fun, but isn't football itself supposed to be fun? I mean, it is a game. I get the feeling that guys like Ochocinco play football because they have the talent, not because they love the game. If they did, simply being on the field would give them the enjoyment they need. But not Chad. The game's not enough. Perhaps he should quit.

Fuhrer LeBron and S.S. Nike

Now this has rubbed people in a very wrong way. Apparently at the LeBron James Skills Academy, Xavier guard Jordan Crawford dunked on James, and shortly after Nike officials confiscated all the tapes from said dunk. To make matters worse, it seems that James was the one who ordered the search and seizure.

First off, I could see Nike orchestrating this more than Lebron. But if he did do it, is it that big of a deal? So he has some pride issues, what do you expect. He's constantly harped on for not winning a title, despite being crowned "The King" (a nickname that he was given, by the way). Oh, and he's 24 years old. Who cares if he's ashamed? I am tired of the high horse riding by sports people when it comes to LeBron James. Nobody will remember this. Hell, Kobe raped a girl and Shaq had a "tell me how my ass tastes" rap and everybody just loves them. I can't wait for James to win a title to shut these middle-aged white sports writers up. Give it a rest.

Sick News is Sick

I applaud sports fans for not wanting to hear anymore about Steve McNair. Sure, we still read the updates, but it's July - what else are we gonna do? The mood I get is that the story is too disturbing, too wrong and has nothing to do with McNair the quarterback. We understand that our heroes aren't really superhuman, we don't need to be reminded. With the gross exploitation of Michael Jackson's death, fans are disinterested to do the same with McNair. This is a good thing.

We want sports and we want it now. Not a 24-hour news investigation of McNair the man. None of our business. Chalk it up to ignoring the truth if you want, but what will learning the truth achieve? Nothing but negativity, and we surely don't need anymore of that. ESPN and the rest and continue to let us in on the latest, it's their job, but I get the feeling that nobody is all the concerned.

America, F*** Yeah!

This whole Lance Armstrong thing cracks me up. As I've written before, sports nationalism in this country is a joke. First soccer, then tennis, and now cycling. Remember, if it's foreign, it's crap. Until we put a competitor out there, then we are the greatest! We are the saddest bunch of front-runners in the world. It's alright during the Olympics, it's kind of the point. I'm rooting against Armstrong and for the French. That's right, I said it. Let's bring the trophy to a group of people who actually care about the event when they aren't dominating. What happened to our underdog spirit?

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Kobe Isn't That Important

I'm starting to hear way too much about Kobe Bryant. I didn't think I would have a problem with it - after all, who didn't see Kobe Fest 2009 coming when LeBron was eliminated? But I wanted me some #24. I wanted to see him make his mark. But he isn't solely responsible for the Lakers' title hopes.

Unless he goes for 81 points again, he is just another player on the court, albeit the best one. But whether or not he wants to win it more than anyone else won't bring home a trophy. Neither will the fact that he is seemingly more nasty and serious in this series then he ever has been before. The Lakers are just a better team, and the better team wins seven game series.

If Courtney Lee makes that alley-oop at the end of Game 2, then what? Is Kobe's extreme focus now a problem? Does his want for a title now hinder his team? Of course not, and it works the other way. The Lakers won because Orlando blew chances, bottom line. But it was close because, for the most part, the Magic played their game. The Game 1 blowout had more to do with Orlando not making any shots than the demeanor of L.A.'s shooting guard.

Truth is, Bryant's importance to the Lakers is crunch time, and we haven't seen it yet because we haven't needed it. We got a glimpse at the end of regulation in Game 2, but it didn't matter. And that's the point. He scored 8 of the Lakers' last 10 points, but it still went into overtime. The reason is that the game has ten players, not one, and the Magic five did their part as well. And the scary part for L.A. is that when Kobe was trying to end the game by himself, J.J. Redick, Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu were matching him. And don't we always side with the "team"?

It was a mix of good defense and Pau Gasol that won that game, not the will of Kobe Bryant. And that's fine, that's the way it usually works out. But stop talking to me about how Kobe is on a mission. So are a dozen other guys playing this game, and they matter more collectively than one man, despite how good he may be.

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LeBron Has Entered the Dark Side

Sometime during the 2009 postseason, it became popular to hate LeBron James. I'll admit he's not helping his own cause at the moment, but where did this stem from exactly? He was The King, more likable than Kobe but just as marketable, a guy who played as hard as he could as long as he could and was making strides as a complete, all-around basketball player. But something happened during that Magic series; he became a closer.

The one knock on LeBron is that he was not clutch. Well, knocking down game-tying free throws, hitting a fade-away buzzer beater and winning an entire fourth quarter playing one-on-five put that notion to rest. Those moments propelled him to Kobe-status, a super stardom James was already at but now it's legitimatized. No doubt this was fueled by the ESPN Kobe-LeBron puppet ads. And there's no doubt this has also led to Lebron's polarization. You know he's big and you know he's legit because now he has more haters than every before.

James added more gas to the fire by his "poor sportsmanship" after the Game 6 loss. Failing to shake anybody's hand (but more importantly, Dwight Howard's hand) and not talking to the media, for the first time fans and sportswriters alike ripped LeBron and questioned his personality. For years we have been desperately seeking Jordan, but the once James does something purely Jordan-esque, he is condemned for it. I think it's clear that if Michael Jordan was playing in today's game, his legendary competitiveness would be chalked up to thuggery and selfishness.

So, there are two paths to follow now for LeBron. The first path is damage control, to repair his image and regain his status as King. This is the mostly likely route for James to take. But he can also decide that instead of being Kobe, he would much rather be Jordan. That path leads to storming off the court, not even caring who Dwight Howard is, jetting to New York and becoming the most feared player in the league. It is the Dark Side, and I hope he takes it.

Going from hometown boy to the savior of Cleveland is nice, but it's a fairy tale. Real life is mean an nasty, and that's what LeBron needs to be. I say flee to the Knicks, bring Bosh or Wade with you, and become part of the Jay-Z lifestyle you obviously love. The White Sportswriters of America will hate you for it. See how they fell in love with Howard, who is as nice as can be with a million dollar smile. You tried that, but the Magic series brought out the real you. There is no turning back.

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NBA's Fab Four Veils Bad Basketball

Every sport has its problems. Baseball has steroids, football has malcontents, hockey has no fans, golf sometimes doesn't have Tiger and tennis has no Americans. But professional basketball is in a unique position. Its woes aren't off the field antics or performance enhancers. No, their dilemma is much more serious; bad play, awful coaching and even worse officiating.

Everybody will remember Round One's Bulls/Celtics matchup as an epic series, but the reality is that it was sub par basketball. Boston's go-to play seemed to be letting Paul Pierce hold the ball, drive and either freak out and jack up a shot or hope to God that he could find an open teammate that would freak out and jack up a shot. This led us to the Big Baby buzzer beater, which in actuality was an awful play that ended up in a player nobody trusted taking the most important shot of the season. It went in, so it will be featured in future NBA "Amazing" commercials in super slow motion and remembered as a good thing. Not to mention what it does for Baby monetarily.

And who draws up the "Pierce better make a good decision" plays? The horrendous coaches. Guys like George Karl who have six-foot-nothing Anthony Carter inbounding the ball with the game on the line against Lamar Odom. Guess what happened. Luckily, there was enough time between that Game One and Game Three, where there was another chance to inbound the ball at crunch time. Guess what happened. Karl must take coaching lessons from John Calipari, who feels just because you screw up one facet of the game routinely doesn't mean you should ever practice it.

I won't even waste words on officiating. We all know it's bad. Let's move on.

What's saving the NBA and making the postseason seem so great (and really, it's not) is the Fab Four: Kobe, LeBron, Carmelo and Howard. Four teams, four elite superstars. And more importantly, four American superstars. The Redeem Team went from friends and mentors to fighting each other for the title. This is the intriguing storyline, the veil covering the fans' eyes. LeBron's buzzer beater was that Jordan-esque shot we've all been waiting for. The Kobe/Melo matchup is high drama, as is Anthony's "I'm becoming a man" run through the playoffs, which is probably due more to being on a good team than him becoming a better person. Unfortunately, we're stuck with Howard other than D-Wade, but we'll take what we can get.

But all of this isn't basketball, it's a soap opera, which explains why the 2009 postseason has gotten people so giddy. All of the close games aren't enough to keep me interested if they get blown at the end by bad coaching moves. Game Two of Cavs/Magic was the one shining moment for me so far, where Hedo and James had dueling game-winners that weren't the product of bad defense, just two stone cold assassins draining their shot. But even that was ruined with the Game Three Foul Fest. It was if the refs got payed by the whistle, and completely obliterated any positive feelings the previous game gave the series.

I want the NBA back, where the players are professional and the game is better. But David Stern & Company are reaping the rewards of big names in the headlines, and the non-fans who are paying attention love drama and scripts, which is exactly what the league has become. I can only hope for a Denver/Orlando title matchup, a big "F You" to a league that doesn't even care that the quality of their game has been reduced to D-League basketball. Because if there is a Kobe/LeBron Finals, then there is no chance in hell Stern will care about anything but the hype.

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"Kobe Doin' Work" Is All Ball

Sports is about inference. Some calculate the stats, others piece together any other evidence they can find. Whether it be how a player acts off the court, how much his teammates like him, or how he portrays himself to the media, we will find something abstract to make conclusions about one's game. With the easy availability of stats and tangibles at our fingertips, it's only natural seek out the intangibles as a way to learn more. And often we get it wrong.

Which brings us to "Kobe Doin' Work", Spike Lee's documentary profiling a 2008 regular season game between the Lakers and Spurs. The title explains just about everything. It's 90 minutes of Kobe Bryant explaining why he's shooting or passing, why he's on his man or roaming the court. It's NBA 101 and Professor Bryant is about to school you. No drama, no headlines. Just a student of the game giving us an inside look on what it's like to be the game's biggest star. On the court, that is.

And that's what makes "Kobe Doin' Work", well, work. We will never really know why Lee decided to do this film the way he did. But I suspect it was to somewhat humanize a man who has played the villain role most of his career. And an hour and a half of Kobe with his family or attending charity events would seem too contrived, and the haters would see right through it. Here, Bryant is in his element; just talkin' hoops. He doesn't have to worry about saying the right things or playing a specific part. And through all the lessons and insights, we realize how being a celebrity is nowhere inside of his DNA. Basketball is what Kobe knows, and he knows it better than anybody. Shaq was celebrated by the media because not only could he ball, but he could play the media game as well. It came natural to him. The only thing Bryant has in his blood is a pure passion for hoops, and sadly it has led to him wearing a black hat.

There is a reason that the gold #24 jersey outsells everyone. Whether we think he is a bad guy or not, one message leaks through to the kids: Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players of all time. "Kobe Doin' Work" gives us a little glimpse why. And for 90 minutes, the only important factor is how he performs on the court. Which is the way it should have always been.

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The Worst Article Ever Written

In my time as a writer and an avid reader, I have come across some horrendous articles. The kind that leave you with a smaller IQ and a sudden urge to binge drink. Admittedly, some of my own probably fall into that category. But one has risen of the rest, the cream of the crap crop, if you will. And to some, it will be no surprise that the name signed at the bottom is that of one Jason Whitlock.

It sure was no shock to me. I've never been a fan of Whitlock, who has made a living injecting racism into any and every topic known to man. In J-Dubb's world, the previous sentence is proof that I secretly hate black people. It's a shortcut to thinking and offensive.

So I now present to you his worst, in my opinion. "Cuban's out of line and it's Stern's fault" deserves attention. As you already know, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban apparently called the Nuggets' Kenyon Martin a thug to his mother's face, along with reports that many Dallas fans were harassing family members of Nuggets players. Here's my problem:

Does Stern not understand the culture of the league he oversees? Does he fail
to comprehend the position Kenyon Martin is in if he fails to publicly (and
perhaps physically) defend his mama?

Right or wrong, disrespecting a black man's mama publicly has always been a
drop-the-gloves moment. When a billionaire white man does it, it becomes a
ride-or-die episode for the entire neighborhood.

Last I checked, Martin plays in a league dominated by black men hailing from
the don't-talk-about-my-mama culture.

Yes, this is about race. And it's news to me that black men are the only people in this country that take offense to people disrespecting their parents. What's amazing to me is that a champion of race like Whitlock seems to allows fuel the stereotypes rather than seek the reality. Well, not that amazing. It's what he does. The "thug" culture, which is so reviled by minorities, thrives on ideas such as don't-talk-about-my-mama.

Most stereotypes cannot be avoided. Fried chicken and watermelon simply taste good, eat as much as you want. And you should feel anger at anyone stepping up to your mother. Fact is, we all feel that way. To corner the market of loving your mom and act as if it's a higher transgression because it's happening to you is what causes contempt, from both the majority and minority. Injustice is injustice. Cuban was wrong, not because Mrs. Martin has dark skin, but because his actions are indefensible in and of itself.

And I'm just getting started.

He's a billionaire owner who should be well above mixing it up with
fans.

The difference between (Ron) Artest and Cuban is a few billion dollars and
a fair complexion.

There are two different kinds of people. Those who think Cuban is a loudmouth, and those who are glad to see "one of them" owning a major sports team. Most of the time, I fall into the latter group. In this instance I fall into both. Cuban was wrong, and it was his loudmouth persona that made him say the things he did. But I don't set him to a higher standard because of his bank account, and I enjoy the fact that an owner can still be himself (even if that means we have to experience his asshole-ish ways). And by no means do I think he deserves different treatment because he is white, as Whitlock clearly states above. I mean, could you imagine if Tony Kornheiser or Rick Reilly said that Mo Cheeks needs to approach white refs in a different way than Phil Jackson because he was black? J-Dubb would be all over that one.

And one more thing:

I was shocked Wednesday night when Charles Barkley and Chris Webber pretended
that Cuban's apology was enough justice. Sir Charles and C-Webb sounded like
Cuban enablers. They must all play in the same charity golf events.

That's right boys and girls, Barkley and Webber are Uncle Toms! The fact that they didn't immediately join Team Black is proof enough that all their tee-times with The Man have turned them from FUBU to J. Crew. Ridiculous. There is no bigger divider in the world of sports than Jason Whitlock. He draws the lines, he makes you choose a side. Disrespect is different if the two parties have different skin. He does his small part to kill any progress of race relations that has been built in the last few decades. It's as if he is uncomfortable with equality. He commentates on an industry that is minority-dominated, but cannot come to grasps that a white/black confrontation is just a human/human confrontation.

The seeds of discontent and chaos take root in the absence of justice.

Actually, they take root in the presence of hate and ignorance. Two things that consume the public persona of Whitlock, and garner a bank account much closer to Mark Cuban's than yours or mine.

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NBA Playoffs = Kobe vs Lebron

Only two words matter in this year's NBA playoffs: Kobe and Lebron. It would take something magical for anything other than a Lakers vs Cavaliers Finals. With Boston out of the picture due to the loss of Kevin Garnett, and everybody in the West out due to lack of talent, the road is paved for a Cleveland/L.A. championship. So, what the hell are we supposed to watch until then?

There is absolutely nothing to look forward to this year. Maybe the Cavs/Celts series (if there is one) will be entertaining, but that's purely from a "what is going to happen?" standpoint. The reality points to something more like a five game series not has little to no drama at all.

So we must all wait for what we really want; the MVP race really determined on the court, the changing of the guard theme, the last chance for Cleveland to hold on to James, etc. It's just all to perfect. Much better than the weak attempt at dusting off the Lakers/Celtics rivalry, which hasn't really existed in decades. And anything is better than a Spurs/Team X series.

The thing I'm looking forward to the most is how the loser in the MVP race shows up. Will Kobe be pissed that everyone is crowning King James while he's still the best player in the NBA? Or will LeBron feel slighted that he hasn't been crowned anything yet, even if he's averaging nearly a triple-double? This is what intrigues me. It's almost as if whoever wins the MVP will be at a disadvantage.

This is what the 2009 NBA playoffs has to offer, and nothing more. The wait will be long, but there's a good chance that this time, it will be worth it.

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Is Lakers-Celtics really that big a deal?

Leading up to the Finals, every hardcore NBA fan was playing the same tune; a Celtics-Lakers match up would be the best possible scenario for the league. This, for the most part, has been wholly undisputed. The points seem to be that people like the rivalry and there are enough stars to draw mass attention. I'm not so sold.

First of all, there is no rivalry. It died a long time ago. The only reason there will be more emotional involvement is due to the fact that L.A. and Boston are big markets. It might as well be Lakers-Knicks. Because what made these two teams draw sides from innocent bystanders was unquestionably race - if you were white, you rooted for the Celtics; black and you were for the Lakers. Anyone who tries to deny this is kidding themselves. Unfortunately, the "Big Three" from Boston are all black, while L.A. has a guy on their team named - gulp - Walton.

And forget about the star power. Kobe is as big a star as LeBron, whose appearance in last year's Finals didn't seem to do much for the ratings. And sorry, but your mom doesn't know who Paul Pierce or Ray Allen is. She might know who KG is, but I doubt she cares. Unless Kobe is driving in millions by himself, what is the attraction here? Is there anybody that makes the most casual of fan feel that this is a must-watch?

Two things (large markets and summer television) will probably drive the ratings up. Then again, it can't go anywhere but up after a year with the Spurs, aka, the most unwatchable team in sports. And maybe there are still lingering feelings from the old days that will draw in some. But this isn't the "dream match up" everyone is talking about. Fans don't have anything riding on this like it used to be. It isn't Magic vs Bird. So please stop telling me that these Finals are somehow more important, because between the coasts, it's not.

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The Evolution of Kobe Bryant

I have always been a Kobe Bryant hater. I think of him as a cocky, ball-hogging, backstabbing adulterer, a symbol of everything that's wrong with the NBA. During the offseason, it seemed as if I couldn't hate him more. He threw his teammates under the bus, demanded a trade, and pretty much threw a tantrum like a five year old kid. Like a good parent, the Lakers didn't bow down, let Kobe cry it out, and reminded him of who paid the rent (or multi-million dollar paycheck). Knowing how little time they had until little Kobe would act out, the Lakers went and got Kobe a little brother (Pau Gasol). The Lakers went on to the #1 seed in the West, Kobe got his MVP, and it's been good times ever since.

Comparing Bryant to a snotty brat might seem like I'm bashing him, but I've actually enjoyed this evolution. He was spoiled with Shaq, Phil and three rings at a very young age. It was no where but downhill for him, and we unfortunately had to bare witness to the attention-grabbing antics Kobe displayed since then. Shaq can't complain - he came out of the whole thing as the nice guy and ended up getting another ring anyways. Speaking in terms of only basketball, everyone was the better for it. Especially the world's best player.

In about half a season, Kobe has learned to be a leader and a team player. The league was buzzing with talk about the Celtics, Chris Paul and LeBron, while Bryant and the Lakers took a backseat. And this was fine by Bryant. He seemed to understand how lucky he was with the Gasol signing, and that he can't win a title by himself; something only a young player on top of the world would think anyways. He's been at the bottom, hated and accused of rape. He now realizes how hard it is to have a championship team, and how limited the time of a professional athlete is. After all, the #1 seed in the East is comprised of past their prime All-Stars desperately trying to do what he has already done three times.

I think it's safe to say that Kobe gets it now. With the kind of spotlight that shines on the stars of today, you can't really blame him for his antics. It's really telling to watch who was once the most arrogant player in the game be humbled in a matter of months. Now we can go back to watching the guy we thought he was - the one who scores 25 points in the second half against the defending champs. AKA, the best player in the league.

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Playoffs dwarfed by the regular season for the NBA

Most basketball fans will agree that the 2007-08 NBA regular season was one of the best in recent memory. Watching the return of glory for both the Celtics and Lakers, Lebron giving Garnett-like effort every game, the beast that is Chris Paul, landmark trades, and of course, the seeding race in the West. It made the 82-game marathon watchable again. But then, the playoffs began.

Once again, the Suns-Spurs cage match came to soon, and ended the same way. And like the Suns, the Mavs showed that their blockbuster deal had as much substance as 'Superhero Movie'. The only drama came in the form of Atlanta taking Boston to a game 7. Which was horrid, because we all want to watch the Celtics, and nobody - NOBODY - wants to watch the Hawks for more than one series. So why has this postseason been so much more boring than the months preceding?

Mostly, because the same old thing starts to happen. Nobody is beatable every night because the good teams always step it up. You HAVE to play your A-game to beat the Lakers or Pistons. Nobody is taking any nights off. That's what has fueled college basketball for so long; the idea that any night can be an upset in the making. That's not the case in the pros, and never really has been.

The biggest difference this season, however, is the schedule. Every night you could watch teams busting their asses in the regular season. I loved getting off of work, cracking open a beer, and just enjoying a game. Now, I have to wait until the over-hyped, over-commercialized game comes on once every two days, knowing it will probably not live up to expectations. December games have no expectations, they simply are. Add in the fact that the second game doesn't end till after midnight (1:00 in the East Coast), and I'm already in bed.

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Shaq for Shawn?

There's one thing that I always thought baseball had over the NBA and NFL, and that was trades. Usually, win a big-time trade needs to happen, MLB teams seem eager to pull the trigger. Most of this is due to no salary cap, so small market teams have no choice but to get what they can for their stars (see: Santana, Johan). But another big part of it is that GMs never want to look bad, so they refuse to make any move that could bite them in the ass later.

If there was any NBA team I thought would never make "that trade", it would have been the Phoenix Suns. This is a team who routinely gives up their first round draft pick every year to save cash. Needless to say, I was shocked to learn that the Suns are about to trade Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks for Shaquille O'Neal. So let's look at this from both sides.

Miami

There is no reason the Heat shouldn't have made this trade. They are one of the worst teams in the league, and they need a different look. Maybe pairing Marion up with Dwayne Wade can turn things around. At any rate, Shaq is old, so at least they get younger.

Phoenix

Here's the real reason the Suns got rid of Marion: he didn't want to be there. This team has had chemistry problems for a while, and Marion was at the center of it. Apparently, they thought they had to get rid of him to make a title run. This is both understandable and deserving of applause. Not enough teams make moves to improve their chemistry.

They only problem is that Shaq is old, and he could never run. The Suns' whole game plan is set on running up and down the floor. Something's gotta give. And why wouldn't they shop around for somebody else? Did they not think about getting Pau Gasol before the Lakers snagged him? Or was it the Gasol trade that prompted Phoenix to make a move of their own? After all, the Lakers are their biggest rival, so why not go and get Shaq?

Anyways, a lot of questions need to be answered. When Phoenix hired Steve Kerr to be their GM in the off-season, they obviously wanted to try something new. And I can understand why they would want to make a move now, since Steve Nash's back isn't going to hold up for too much longer. But was this the right trade for the Suns? Only time will tell.

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