NBA Playoff Basketball At Its Finest

Why Playoff Basketball is the Best

If the recent antics and storylines aren’t enough to persuade you that playoff basketball is where it’s at, then I don’t know what will. From the rough play in the Celtics and Wizards series to the Big 4 doing damage in Golden State there’s no shortage of intriguing gameplay.

The marvelous Russell Westbrook show has come to an end and Paul Pierce has stepped off the court the last time as a player. The battle of MVP trophy aka the Rockets-Thunder series proved to be a showcase of “WOW”. Westbrook went to work, displaying why he’s a finalist in the race for the MVP trophy. But James Harden wasn’t going to allow an old teammate to send him home packing early. Instead, Harden sustained his claim to the MVP trophy.

It’s difficult to think of any team – not named Cleveland – that can thwart the Golden State Warriors. They successfully took away the chances of any other team in the west succeeding by obtaining Kevin Durant. They don’t need him. They’re just as dangerous without him. The Warriors knew his added star power on another team could result in a slightly challenging road to the Finals. So why not lure one of the top 5 players in the league with grandeur of hoisting a championship trophy?

The Celtics began the playoffs on a somber note. Isiah Thomas suffered a heart breaking loss. The Bulls came in and conquered briefly. Rajon Rondo became injured, Dwayne Wade’s age began to show, and Jimmy Butler’s greatness could not withstand the gritty Celtics.

The Wizards have the swagger of their starting point guard, John Wall. A team that plays with a chip on their shoulder. They’re a rough bunch of players. In a league plagued by “soft play”, they epitomize the style of ball played years ago. Their rugged play was too much for the Atlanta Hawks.

Round Two

Now we’re onto round two. The Cavaliers quickly handled the Indiana Pacers, the San Antonio Spurs used their experience and their own MVP candidate, Kawai Leonard to fend off the pesky Grizzlies. And Utah is back to their old ways and winning in the playoffs. Here are a few intriguing storylines to look at during the second round of the NBA Playoffs:

The Varsity – JV Series. The Cleveland Cavaliers are up against the Toronto Raptors. Rematch of last year’s conference finals. This year the Raptors have a few new additions (Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker) along with many familiar faces. One would think that the outcome would be a competitive series. In place of a competitive series, we’ve been subjected to watch as LeBron James and the Cavaliers treat the Raptors like the JV team. If DeRozan can’t lend a supporting hand against the Cavaliers then it’s all up to Kyle Lowry. With all due respect, Lowry can’t do it on his own. Expect to see more of Cleveland pounding Toronto if DeRozan remains M.I.A.

Kelly & Kelly. Old school basketball was a game where the tough ruled. Imagine if the Bad Boys played today. They’d be in the penalty within 2 minutes. The game has been toned down. Softer – for lack of a better word. That’s why the Celtics and Wizards series is intriguing. Kelly Olynyk – the same man who took down Kevin Love – set a hard screen on Kelly Oubre Jr. of the Wizards. Next thing you know, a rattled Oubre is charging towards Olynyk and what ensues is an ejected Oubre and Washington team that fed off the energy of the altercation. If you missed the squabble, you can see it here: Kelly vs. Kelly. Don’t think that Oubre Jr. was only upset with the hard screen. The hard screen was the essentially the
“straw that broke the donkey’s back”. A man can only take so much. Look for more physicality in this series as the Wizards look to tie things up.

Parker-less Spurs. The Spurs are good. They’ve been good for at least the past 18 years. This year they don’t have Big Fundamental in Tim Duncan. No worries. Kawai Leonard picked up the slack. After a challenging Memphis Grizzlies series, the Spurs were up against a run-n-gun team in the Houston Rockets. Things didn’t look good in game one for the Spurs. Game two was a different story. The Spurs played inspired basketball and were able to tie the series. Unfortunately, they lost their starting veteran guard Tony Parker. Question is, can the Spurs survive the loss of Parker or will they run out of steam before reaching the finish line?

Golden Boys. It’s tough trying stop the Golden State Warriors. Once you think you’ve got them solved, they hit you with another surprise. Utah squeaked by the Los Angeles Clippers but the talent the Warriors bring to the court outmatches the talent brought by the Clippers, especially when Blake Griffin went down. Utah simply has to hope for a bad shooting performance. An off day in Golden State could mean victory for Utah but that’s just one game. Draymond will continue with the trash talk and Golden State will continue to light the nets on fire.

Seeing the same team – game after game – will make tensions flare. The emotional carryover from game to game can either make or break a team. But I’ll stand on a limb – a pretty strong limb – and say that we’re in for a familiar final series. Cleveland and Golden State look primed to represent the Eastern and Western conferences. Unless there’s a storyline that we don’t know of yet. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Cleveland Rock City

Yes, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is located in Cleveland but that’s not what I mean when I say rock city. Plagued by a championship drought, Cleveland has been a barren ground for success. Just recently, they were tormented with the Johnny Manziel saga (which has abruptly came to an end). Cleveland persevered, down 3 games to 1, to take home the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

We can all sit here and complain that the NBA is rigged and if Draymond Green wasn’t suspended then Golden State would be hoisting the trophy. Could be true. There’s no denying that LeBron James is the NBA’s golden child, but as my mother used to say “life’s not fair”.

Cleveland will finally get their “rock”, a collection of them in a large ring. A first for this organization and a long awaited celebration for this city.

Questions and comments after Cleveland clinched the NBA Championship

Is Golden State’s Legacy Tarnished?

The Carolina Panthers went on to win 15 games in 2015. They were a tough team to beat. Led by Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly, Carolina was a favorite to win the Super Bowl. That didn’t happen. Denver rained on their parade by defeating them 24-10. What about the perfect New England Patriots who were upset by the Giants in 2008 by the “Helmet Catch”.

Two teams, which achieved so much yet fell short of the ultimate goal. The losses don’t downplay how good these teams were but it does show that they weren’t able to take the next step to greatness (in the Patriots’ defense they have displayed that they are in fact a legendary team).

The difference here is that the 73-9, Golden State Warriors couldn’t upend the Cleveland Cavaliers in 7 games. They had an intimidating 3 to 1 series lead but was unable to pull past the Cavs to become back-to-back champs. The Cavs were the more determined team. They weren’t the best team on the floor, but they possessed the best player and the mindset to get past Golden State.

The real question is that after such a spectacular and record setting season, does the absence of a trophy make it any less amazing? Sure, a trophy would of been the cherry on top to end their remarkable season but obviously the ~~NBA~~ basketball gods didn’t like that idea. So does not winning the championship (and losing three straight games) make the Warriors’ achievements less important?

Who’s here to stay?

After a losing three straight and the NBA Championship, I’d expect to see some changes to the Golden State Warriors. Many times, winning teams aren’t so quick to add a player and alter the team chemistry but when teams lose they are more likely to try to correct those particular holes that they may have. The NBA Draft is two days away and there has been rumors circulating that the Warriors are interested in Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Durant. It would be interesting to see what changes they make considering they are coming off the best season (record wise) in NBA history. Dirk would stretch the floor but he is an aging player well into his 30’s. Even so he still demands attention on the offensive end. Kevin Durant is a past MVP winner. He’s one of the top players in the NBA. Having a player of his skill set would definitely improve the team but at what cost. Who would they have to let go in order to do so.

Cleveland on the other hand has to answer their Kevin Love dilemma (I’ll dive into this a bit more) and their intentions on retaining talent. Their key players are set to return next year. LeBron James, Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving, Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith are signed until at least next season (James and Smith have player options which they could opt out of in order to see a bigger payday). What will LeBron do? Is he still searching to be apart of a superteam or will he stay put in Cleveland? J.R. Smith is expected to make $5 million next year, but has his worth gone up following the playoffs? The only players guaranteed to come back from the bench are Sasha Kaun, Jordan McRae, Channing Frye and Shumpert. This means that they will have to retain or look elsewhere for extra help from the bench. With already (roughly) 100 million already being guaranteed to current players it will be interesting to see what Cleveland does. Luckily for them the cap has risen this year but unfortunately they are already over that cap mark. Their decisions this offseason will be very pivotal in their run to defend their “NBA Champions” status .

Chef Curry Diet

LeBron wasn’t having Chef Curry’s cooking. LeBron made sure to let him know that he wasn’t either. It wasn’t just the blocks and defensive pressure dished out to the Warriors it was LeBron’s dominance that trumped over all. Curry showed that he was human. Shots that normally would drop, weren’t. The Cavs were simply not having any of his usual Curry antics. The following statement fits so perfectly here: “Live by the three…die by the three,” and after Curry’s last attempt from downtown, I’d say the Warriors chances to repeat died right there.

Does Cleveland Still LOVE Kevin? 😍

It’s funny how things play out. If the Cavs lost this series, this would have been the one of the biggest stories resulting to their loss. Kevin Love is one of the better power forwards in the league, even though he did not display his past all-star form in the finals, he still commands much attention on the court.

He’s not playing like the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kevin Love because he has much more of a supporting cast. A cast which is far better than he had in Minnesota. He’s not required to play on the block as much. He plays like a big guard now instead of the mean rebounding machine who was a double-double guru.

With his role being an uncertainty in Cleveland will he seek an out or will Cleveland plan to let him go? He still is under contract and is technically a Cavalier until 2020 (each year he is getting over $20 million). So the question is, “is there any love for Kevin in Cleveland?”

“The Suspension”

Game 4, the Warriors came out victorious. However, they would also lose one of their most valuable players in Draymond Green. A squabble between Green and James led to the NBA reviewing the play (AFTER THE GAME) and assessing Green a flagrant (which led to a 1-game suspension) and LeBron a technical foul. Hmmm…🤔 It’s quite odd that the NBA would go back to a play in which no call was made on the floor and assess a penalty on either player. For the NBA to go back and give a flagrant foul (which would lead to Green’s suspension in the finals and in a closeout game). Mind you, LeBron and Kyrie went off for 41 a piece in that game 5 win. Highly controversial if you ask me. I’d say that there were many other instances in previous games (especially the Oklahoma City series) that the NBA could have went back and given Green a flagrant. It just seems odd that they would’ve done so at such a crucial time. The NBA’s decision to suspend Green could be argued as a game changer and shifted the momentum to the Cavs. I would hate to think that the league is rigged. Sometimes it’s just how the cookie crumbles.

Beginners Luck

First it was Golden State head coach, Steve Kerr, who triumphed in his first season as head coach. Now Tyronn Lue has that honor. Lue, coached 41 regular season games eventually leading them to the NBA Championship. I would say that this sounds like a case of some beginners luck. Then again, it was David Blatt’s first year as head coach last year when his team fell to the Warriors. I guess it was just Lue’s time to shine.

LeBron’s Legacy

Six years. Three championships. LeBron James led all players in points, rebounds, steals, assist, blocks and heart. Supplanting himself as one of the best players in the league and one of the best players to play the game. Maybe disliked by many, he has showed that he is an elite player over and over and over and over again. Of course, he’ll be compared to the likes of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird all of whom had success in the post season.

Where do we go from here?

Cleveland will have to figure out what the deal is with Kevin Love then address their bench.
GSW will have to figure out if a big man is the way to go. Their inability to defend the rim and collect rebounds ultimately hurt them.

It’ll be interesting to see what happens next and which players will be on these teams next season. Thursday night will be another big night to see which directions these teams (and the 28 others) decide to go.

NBA Finals: Game 4 Preview

Game 4 is tonight! I’m happy that I don’t have to wait 2+ days to watch another game. As Cleveland prepares themselves to even up the series and Golden State looks to go home with a 3 games to 1 advantage. Before we get ahead of ourselves here, there are many questions to be answered.

Will the Cavs come out like they did in game 3?

They were tough on defense. On offense they appeared to be the on their A-game. This trend started early on in game 3. If the Cavs can come out the gate with the same intensity, Golden State watch out! Cleveland will need to get some more help out of their bench. Then again when you’re playing as good as Cleveland did and do such a great job at shutting down the other team’s key players, who needs a bench?

Will Kevin Love play?

It is said that we will know if Kevin Love will be able to play by the time he arrives at the “Q”. His status is TBD.

Is Cleveland Better Without Love?

They did go 4-0 in the games he didn’t play this season. They also thumped the defending champs in game 3 without him. If Kevin Love plays and Cleveland loses we’ll find out the truth to that question.

Which Stephen Curry will show up?

Maybe he was disappointed about his “Chef Curry Suburban Dad kicks”. Maybe this is Curry’s way of saying that he’s supporting Donald Trump. I’m sure these’ll be a hit at the next rally! (LOL) All jokes aside, Stephen Curry needs to shake off that voodoo and start cooking like Ayesha…but on the court…and not in those “Chef Curry 2s“. In Curry’s defense he did go 24-0 in white shoes this season.

Klay? Where art thou?

Dubs fans are really hoping Klay’s thigh is fine. He disappeared in game 3. Once he left the game and headed to the locker room, it was as if he stayed in there. Hopefully, the trainers were able to get him fixed in time for game 4. The Warriors can’t afford a “Klay Thompson Disappearance Act.”

Will Steve Kerr tweak his game plan?

With Love out the lineup you cannot attack the Cavs the same way. It’s not rocket science and I think the Dubs coaching staff is well aware of it. Tonight we’ll see if Kerr decides to switch things up a bit in time for tip-off.

Will Kyrie deliver?

Kyrie, like Klay Thompson for the Dubs, has to show up like he did in game 3. Kyrie shot a slightly about 30% in games 1 and 2. Game 3, he came out and shot almost 50%. There’s a big difference in 20%. If Kyrie can continue shooting in the mid-to-upper 40s, Cleveland will be in better shape. He just adds another arsenal to their firepower.

What will Jeff Van Gundy say this game?

Van Gundy is like the Bernie Sanders of the analyst squad. Some of the things he says and suggest are head scratchers whereas, some things are quite thought provoking. I find his “Van Gundyisms” pretty amusing. Like, “If Kyle Korver blocks your shot there should be a penalty box you go to,” or saying that Dorris Burke was “on fleek” then went on to attempt to quote DJ Khaled by saying “Like I told the streets, blessed up.” If it isn’t a funny quote it’s his rule suggestions. He hates the Hack-A-“insert terrible free throw shooter here” rule and would like to reform the fouling out rule. One day in my lifetime, I may be lucky enough to see a Van Gundy rule enacted.

Questions…questions…questions. All will be answered at 9 pm!

Cleveland’s Resurgence

Following two double digit loses in Oakland, Cleveland had some answering to do when they arrived back in Ohio. And they answered! LeBron James became “LeBron James” and took a more dominant approach to game three. With Kevin Love out of the lineup, the Cavaliers were without one of their key players. That didn’t stop Cleveland from jumping out to a commanding first quarter lead which they never let up from.

LeBron James shot the ball more than he did in game one or game two. Kyrie Irving played a key part in the win. He demanded the ball and made his shots count. J.R. Smith was back at it, hitting contested jumpers. Cleveland played like a team whose backs were against the walls. Game three for Cleveland was just as important as a game seven. It was a must win for them.

The Cavs were able to contain Stephen Curry. He ended the game with an un-Stephen like box score. Despite his 19 points, he had 6 turnovers, 3 assist and 1 rebound in 31 minutes. The glaring stat here…six turnovers!

At times it looked as if Curry had “checked out”. Most people who have played basketball can attest to times when they’ve “checked out”. For Curry, it’s the equivalent to having a bad day at work. You’ll have your days when you’re in the “zone” but there’s always the exact opposite to that.

We can lament on the fact that Curry had a bad game or praise the Cavs for their play in game three. They attacked on offense and their defense was the stingiest it has been in these three games. The Warriors couldn’t find the bucket early on while the Cavs were full on the home cooking. In this game the Cavs were just more prepared.

Draymond Green wasn’t the same person who went off for 28 in game two. He was unable to make the same moves, make the same passes and have the game tilted in his favor. For those who thought the series would be done in four games, you were very wrong.

It should be a rule: “If LeBron is healthy, you cannot write his team off.” Simple as that! Everyone saw what LeBron and his minions did last year in the finals without Irving or Love.

Cleveland essentially has been the black hole for sports. The Browns have struggled year after year. They are just getting from underneath the whole Johnny Manziel saga. The Indians have not been legitimate contenders for a while (correct me if I’m wrong). Cleveland’s last triumph in the sports world may have been when Shawn Porter beat Adrien Broner in an unanimous decision. With one game in the win column for the Cavs their fans have reason to be excited, but should not forget that it is a seven game series.

Expect to see Golden State come out much differently. Like I said previously, this series is about matchups. It seemed as if Richard Jefferson tapped into his New Jersey Nets days. He looked like the better fit in the starting lineup compared to Kevin Love. It would be interesting to see how head coach, Tyronn Lue, has his lineup for game four. Kevin Love will either be back or very close to returning. Do you stick him in the starting lineup or do you keep him out? That is the question.

Come, Friday June 10th at 9 pm each team will be faced with many questions which they’ll be responsible for answering to. The big questions being, Can Cleveland continue playing like they did in game three or will Golden State wake-up and shake off the jet lag?

*pictures taken from http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2016/06/lebron_james_cavs_warriors_gam_1.html. I do not own these pictures, Thank you!

Can Cleveland Rebound?

Down two games to none, the Cleveland Cavaliers are facing an uphill battle. In the two games played at the Oracle Center, Golden State had Lebron James and the Cavaliers’ number. I foresaw the Cavaliers losing in the Bay Area but not in the type of fashion that they did. The Cavs lost back-to-back games by a total of 48 points. With the possible loss of Kevin Love for game 3, the Cavaliers are in a bit of “pickle”.

Before the series, I kept saying that matchups would be key. A mismatch can provide for some big advantages. Last year, Cleveland was without Kevin Love and lost All-Star point guard, Kyrie Irving in game one. LeBron put on his superman cape but despite his valiant efforts his team fell two games shy of hoisting the O’Brien trophy.

This year, Lebron didn’t have to wear that cape (or so he thought). Love and Irving were healthy and ready to go. They added deep shooter, Channing Frye to potentially tap into his inner Robert Horry. Their head coach, David Blatt, was let go in favor for Tyronn Lue. Everyone saw as Cleveland dismantled the Detroit Pistons, whacked the Atlanta Hawks and gave Drake and the Toronto fans something to cheer about as they gave up two games in the six game series. At the end of the day, Cleveland made sure to take down their foes from across the border.

Golden State was supposed to be here. They won 73-games, best regular season record in NBA history. Oklahoma City Thunder had Golden State on the edge. Reminiscent of Oklahoma City they choked. Giving up three straight games to bow out of the Western Conference Finals.

With the added man power Cleveland has this year, they should be able to put up a fight. Like, Muhammed Ali and Joe Frazier in ’71 – “The Fight of the Century”. Instead, the Golden State Warriors are looking like Ali in the Sonny Liston rematch.

Before we get ahead of ourselves, we must remember that this is the NBA. This is the Cleveland Cavaliers with the best all-around player in the world in LeBron James, uber-talented guard Kyrie Irving and the man they traded their #1 draft pick (Andrew Wiggins) for in Kevin Love. They are going back home to the “216”. There’s no place like home! It could be a whole other story by game 4.

I’m no Charles Barkley, Kenny Anderson, Mark Jackson or Jeff Van Gundy. It doesn’t take an expert to see that Cleveland is in matchup hell. While James is being hounded by Andre Igoudala or Harrison Barnes, Klay Thompson is handling Kyrie Irving. Kevin Love continues to channel in his inner shooting guard and linger around the perimeter making it easy for Andrew Bogut to man the paint against Tristian Thompson. Stephen Curry handles the other guard and Draymond can concentrate on taking advantage of his matchup against Kevin Love.

Then comes the bench. The Warriors bench has been able to manipulate Cleveland. Shaun Livingston’s length is wreaking havoc while Iman Shumpert’s hair struggles to resemble a hair-do. The Warriors are so hot right now that it’s making everyone thirsty.

So what does Cleveland have to do to beat Golden State?

LeBron…be LeBron!

When you’re the best player on the court you have to act like it. Game 1 of the 2015 NBA Finals, LeBron shot 38 times. Game 2, he put the ball up 35 times.

What about this year? Game 1, he shot the ball 21 times and game 2 only 17 times. Simply put, LeBron shot more times in game 1 of the 2015 NBA Finals than he has in the two games in this year’s finals.

What’s the difference? Last year, Cleveland was without Love and Irving. Timofey Mosgov had a bigger impact but ultimately, Cleveland was tied 1-1 in the series last year and the games were much closer. Either LeBron takes over or his team will falter…yet again.

Limit Turnovers

The more turnovers you have the less likely you are to win. That wasn’t the case in game 2. Despite, Golden State’s 20 turnovers they were able to do more than squeak out a win. If the Cavs want a legitimate chance at rebounding from being 2 games behind they can’t turn the ball over as much. Twenty is a lot of turnovers but so is 17. The Cavs had 17 turnovers in game 2 and LeBron had 7 of those! You simply can’t do that especially when going up against the reigning NBA champs and arguably one of the best teams in NBA history.

Where’s the bench?

Richard Jefferson is the grandfather of the time. At 35-years-old he’s an old man in the NBA world. That didn’t stop him from being the best player off the Cavs bench. Surprisingly (so far), he’s the leading scorer off the bench. Where’s Shumpert, Frye, Dellavedova? Maybe put Shumpert into the starting lineup to try to have some fire power off the bench in J.R. Smith. He was the Sixth Man of the Year in 2013. Obviously he thrives coming off the bench as he did last year with the Cavs. They simply don’t have the production off the bench to compete.

No love for Kevin

Kevin Love has been beaten, battered and bruised during his short stint in the NBA Playoffs. The playoffs were a mirage in the distance for him while he was in Minnesota. In his two years with Cleveland – he’s made it past April but staying on the court has been his biggest hurdle. Last year, he was injured in the Boston series. This year, the “power guard” has been able to keep on the court but still hasn’t played like his former Minnesota Timberwolves-self. A blow to the back of the head by a Harrison Barnes elbow might leave Love out of the lineup for game 3. A very IMPORTANT game 3. Kevin is going to have to find some love in the playoffs if Cleveland is to challenge Golden State.

It’s all about the GREEN!

Draymond is the X-factor. Cleveland shut down the “Splash Brothers” in game 1. They still suffered a loss. Golden State’s bench was far more superior. Game 2, Draymond went Draymond. He’s not the same Draymond he was last year. He might be even more effective this year. He has the staunch defensive poise and put his offensive skill on display in game 2. His energy is contagious and he’s a workhorse on the court. Taking a page out of Dellavedova’s 2015 Finals Handbook when he was the pest on the court. If the Cavs can’t contain him then they’ll be looking forward to June 23^rd earlier than thought.

With the Cavaliers heading back to Cleveland they’ll be working out the kinks. Tyronn Lue is a new coach, so was Steve Kerr last year. Cleveland got the players they needed and now that everyone’s (mostly) healthy there can’t be no more excuses. I’d hate to see a sweep after such a great series in the last round. I’m not looking for the lack of sports on TV until football rolls around if this series becomes a short one. Luckily, I’ll have the Olympics to watch after the Warriors give Tyronn Lue and the Cleveland Cavs the Allen Iverson Treatment.

6.0.A.T.?

Where were you when Kobe Bryant played his final NBA game? Even though the woeful Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs months ago and the Utah Jazz had no benefit to win, Kobe put on a performance. A performance that puts the cherry on top of Kobe’s iconic and historic career.

In 1996, Kobe Bryant, was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th pick overall. The Charlotte Hornets has no intentions of signing or drafting the teenager out of Lower Merion High School. He was quickly traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Back in 1996, I was old enough to remember watching the draft that night Kobe was drafted.

A 17-year-old (yes, 17-year-old!) kid from a Philly suburb was thrust in the NBA. His dominance in high school spurned his decision to jump college all together. Who would’ve thought Kobe Bean Bryant, the wide-eyed teenager would eventually become one of the greatest ball players ever?

I’ll always remember the Finals of 2004 between the Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe was teamed up with legends, Gary Payton, Karl Malone and Shaquille O’Neal. He was in his prime then, still donning the “#8“. This was the end of his first stint of championship appearances. I remember how fearful I was for the Pistons to go up against Kobe Bryant. He was “the man”, “the second coming of Jordan”, “The Best Player in the NBA”. The Pistons were able to defeat the Lakers in 5 games in what was called “The Five Game Sweep”. But let’s not overshadow the Black Mamba’s great career with a recollection from 2004.

It was great to the league honor Kobe Bryant the way they did. The near-season long Kobe farewell tour was more about him than the Lakers. The fans packed into NBA arenas not to watch the Lakers but to see Kobe. Fans, no matter who your favorite team or player is, watched as Kobe ended his career Wednesday night in front of his home crowd. The same crowd that watched him achieve greatness for the past 20 years. Despite his 50 attempted shots, he scored 60 points in a winning effort. Sixty!

His point total was the most for any player in his last career regular season game. The Lakers stormed back, thanks to Kobe, to beat the Utah Jazz, 101-96. It was great to see Kobe and Shaq embrace each other at the end of the game. Their animosity towards one another was a part of the reason why Shaq left LA to pick up a championship in Miami. From Derek Fisher, Robert Horry, Devean George to Snoop Dogg, Jack Nicholas and Jay-Z, all were in attendance to see the Mamba’s last game.

Kobe leaves his mark on the game. One of the best in his era, one of the best Lakers player ever. A 5-time NBA champion, 18-time All-Star, 15-time All NBA Player, 12-time All Defensive Team, 1 regular season MVP and 2 Final MVPs. Kobe’s name is synonymous with success. It’s tough to see such a great player move on, but it was destined to happen eventually.

Kobe may be one of top five players to ever play the game. His skill and knowledge of the game trumped others. He stood out among the rest. He was the best player in the league at one time. Maybe one of the most feared players in the league as well.

Kobe put on a good show for 20-years. He had his ups and downs with the Lakers but managed to be up more than down. He leaves the game, third on the list of “most points scored.” He leaves the game a legend. The one who proceeded Jordan as the “great one”.

Thank you Kobe!

Bomani Jones and the Name Game

I woke up this morning and did my daily morning ritual of looking up the sports news from the day before. Bomani Jones, co-host of the Highly Questionable show on ESPN, angered many viewers yesterday with his choice of apparel.

Jones decided to wear a Cleveland Caucasians shirt during the airing of Highly Questionable. People were up in arms over this. Twitter went chaotic, speaking on how Bomani Jones was a racist and his poor lack of judgement wearing the shirt.

Some argued that if a white man wore a shirt saying “Cleveland Negroes” then it would be lambasted all over the social media world. He’d be automatically labeled a “racist”. Correct? I believe so. But there is a major difference between Bomani Jones’ shirt and a “Cleveland Negroes” shirt.

According to Merriam Webster dictionary, Caucasian is “of, constituting, or characteristic of a race of humankind native to Europe, North Africa, and southwest Asia and classified according to physical features —used especially in referring to persons of European descent having usually light skin pigmentation”. It simply refers to a person of light skin color being of European descent (or of North African or southwest Asian descent). There’s no derogatory history behind the word “Caucasian”.

Now when you try to flip the script and say “What if…” you have to look at the meaning of the words. Let’s be fair. Let’s look into the definition of negro. A negro is “a member of a race of humankind native to Africa and classified according to physical features (as dark skin pigmentation).” Same as Caucasian, right?

The word “negro” has many negative implications throughout American history. Just as the “F-word” is one of the most vulgar words in the English language is basically an acronym for Fornication Under The Crowned King. Even though the word is more-or-less an acronym it is considered extremely offensive and vulgar.

Bomani Jones’ shirt is a parody on the actual name of the Cleveland baseball team, The Cleveland Indians. The Native American namesake or characteristics are a common sight in sports in the United States. There is the Washington Redskins, Chicago Blackhawks and numerous college teams that attribute their name to Native Americans. Granted, many collegiate teams have changed their nicknames but there are others who haven’t.

Let’s be honest, Bomani Jones was not wearing the shirt to show his fashion sense but his intentions were to rile the public. He knew A LOT of people would find the shirt offensive but his point was made. What’s the difference between wearing a Cleveland Indians shirt or a Cleveland Caucasians shirt? The number of people affected.

The Native American population is certainly not as large as the Caucasian population in the states. More noise can be made when something offends the majority rather than the minority. Jones’ shirt was no different than a Cleveland Blacks or Cleveland Arabs shirt. It raised the question of, “is this offensive?”

Personally, I believe naming a team after a ethnicity or race of people is wrong. Obviously, people would be upset if the shoes were on the other foot and their race or ethnicity was being mocked. Don’t you think the Native Americans feel the same way?

Who Cares…About the Oklahoma City Thunder?

In 2012, I rooted for the Oklahoma City Thunder to defeat the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. Every game, I was glued to the television cheering on the trio of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. I was anti-Lebron, at the time, so of course I was going to favor the underdogs.

lebrondurant — Lebron James and Kevin Durant in the 2012 NBA Finals.

They gave it their all but their all wasn’t enough to defeat the star studded Miami Heat roster. The Thunder lost the series four games to one. At that moment I jumped on the bandwagon and became a supporter of the Thunder’s rise to the top. Kevin Durant, the league’s leading scorer that year, was automatically in my top five. I went as far as buying an “authentic” jersey of his. It takes true fandom to purchase an authentic jersey. I was team Durant, team Thunder. They would one day become champions, I thought.

That fandom ended this week. I had the privilege to attend the Detroit Pistons vs. Oklahoma City Thunder basketball game. Billy Donovan, the Thunder’s head coach, decided that after the gritty Toronto game the night before he was going to give Durant and Serge Ibaka the “night off”. Russell Westbrook was coming into Detroit hot following a triple-double performance.

Even though Durant and Ibaka were missing from the Thunder’s roster, the Pistons dug deep and pulled out a win on their home court. During the waning moments of the game, Reggie Jackson (formally Russell Westbrook’s backup, now the Pistons’ starting guard) evoked the excited crowd and threw his arms up, celebrating the win. A win that vaulted the Pistons to 7th place in the Eastern Conference. His end-of-game celebratory antics left a sour taste with his former teammates.

Westbrook and Durant had their own comments about Jackson’s celebration after the game. Russell Westbrook told reporters, “It was some real bullshit,” referring to Jackson. Westbrook did not appreciate Jackson jumping up and down and being overly elated over a regular season win against a non-conference opponent that was missing two of their starters.

But that wasn’t the statement that ended my fan relationship with the Oklahoma City. It was Durant’s statement that pushed me over the edge. Kevin Wayne Durant, he was arguably one of my favorite players in the league too.

“I wanted to play against Detroit, for sure, but you know, it’s Detroit, who cares about Detroit?” Durant told reporters. Prior to his “who cares about Detroit” comment Durant assured that if he and Ibaka were available they “would’ve beat the hell out of them…” referring to the Pistons.

As a Detroit fan, I’m used to it…we’re used to it. Durant can say whatever he wants about Detroit and how insignificant they are in the NBA but a win is a win. A win that put Detroit in 7th place in the Eastern Conference. Durant may not care about Detroit but the thousands of fans at the arena and watching on TV cheering the Pistons on, sure do.

Durant, Westbrook and company almost lost to a Los Angeles Clippers team that was near depleted. DeAndre Jordan, Chris Paul, J.J. Reddick AND Blake Griffen weren’t in action. The Thunder should have rolled over the Clippers but instead had to rely on a Steven Adams tip in late in the game to guarantee the win. The Thunder are already destined for the playoffs but I’m sure Westbrook and Durant were happy to get the win. Sounds like deja vu?

Granted, Reggie Jackson left the Thunder last season at the trade deadline on bad terms. Reggie wanted to be the “man” in Oklahoma City but was overshadowed by Durant and Westbrook. Since his departure, I guess you can say there has been bad blood between these players. Jackson must have really got under their skin to bother them the way he did.

My allegiance to the Thunder is officially over. With the two kings of the West (Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs) the Thunder won’t get as far as they did in 2012. Durant will possibly go his own way and Westbrook…well who knows, he might stay in OKC and become their go to triple double machine. Truth be told, the Thunder aren’t winning a championship this year or next. Their power in the Western Conference has weakened over the years.

usa-today-8956270.0 — Kevin Durant being guarded by Reggie Jackson.

Detroit is a hard-working city. The Pistons’ motto years ago was “Going to work!” We were the Bad Boys. We were supposed to be swept in the finals in 2004. It’s not like those words haven’t been said before about Detroit. We’re not expecting to be favored anytime soon. Durant and Westbrook should worry more about getting past the Spurs and Warriors before being disgruntled that your former teammate celebrated your loss.

So I wish Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the rest of the Thunder the best of luck, because just like the Pistons, they’re going to need it to advance in the playoffs. I guess Durant will add Reggie Jackson and the Detroit Pistons next to Stephen A. Smith’s name of those he can’t stand.

Welcome Bob Quinn! New Detroit Lions General Manager.

Welcome, Bob Quinn to the Detroit Lions. Here, in Detroit, we are sick of losing seasons, empty promises and “maybe next year” sayings.

Jim Caldwell, our “beloved” head coach, proved in his first year that we just might have the talent to be a real contender. I mean, we went to the playoffs in his first year as head coach. The first time since 2011, when we were beat up by Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints.

We had such optimism at the beginning of this season despite losing Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley on the defensive side. We have one of the most dominant receivers in the game in Calvin Johnson Jr., and a gunslinger as a quarterback in Matthew Stafford.

The first half of our first regular season game against San Diego in 2015, had Detroit fans salivating at the mouth. Maybe this would be our year that we march into the playoffs and instead of heading home after the first game we win and prep for the next.

That optimism quickly changed in the following half. We looked like the same paltry Lions. Underachieving as always. For weeks, Lion fans were subjugated to head scratching play. Our first win of 2015 came in a 37-34 overtime game against the Chicago Bears. At that time we were 1-5.

After a devastating 1-7 start, we got rid of offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, line coach Jeremiah Washburn and assistant offensive line coach Terry Heffernan. Oh, and lets not forget general manager, Martin Mayhew and team president, Tom Lewand were excused as well.

After dismissing those staff members and placing Jim Bob Cooter (what a name!) as offensive coordinator the Lions showed some signs of life (that is, after having the life sucked out of them in London by the Kansas City Chiefs). We went on a three game win streak, which included a win at Lambeau Field. A rare feat all in itself.

Then came one of the most shocking, appalling and unbelievable moments in sports. The Lions, one tackle short of the end zone to win and sweep the Green Bay Packers, allowed Aaron Rodgers to throw the ball 60-yards on a hail mary pass to Richard Rodgers…after time expired…and after a silly face-mask penalty which gave the Packers another try at downing the Lions.

Another woeful season for the Detroit Lions. Another coach in the hot seat and many fans wondering “what’s next?”

Enter- Bob Quinn. A Bill Belichick guy. A guy that Bill Belichick himself called “one of the foundation blocks” of the Patriots organization. The Patriots are one of the few organizations in sports that despite the personnel, you always expect to excel.

With Calvin Johnson pondering whether or not to call it quits and the uncertainty of Jim Caldwell returning as head coach, Mr. Quinn has a lot on his plate. He will have to address the “what-ifs”.

What if Calvin Johnson decides to hang it up. Where do we go from there? Outside of Golden Tate, who can fill in the shoes of Calvin Johnson?

What if Jim Caldwell is dismissed. Who do we seek as the next scapegoat…I mean head coach of the Lions?

Our offensive line needs work. Our running game is lackluster. Our defensive line is tolerable, thanks to the play of Ziggy Ansah. However, we will still need improvement on our D-line. There’s plenty of holes to fill which means Mr. Quinn will have his work cut out for him.

So welcome to Detroit, new Lions general manager Bob Quinn. We hope that you fair better than our past general managers. We hope that you are able to put together a winning team, because quite frankly, us Lion fans are tired of being failures!