It’s funny how a championship berth changes things. Dirk Nowitzki’s name a season ago could often be filed under the “chronic choker” folder in the NBA’s lexicon of players. Now he’s heralded as perhaps best the closer in the game and one of the top power forwards ever. He had a good postseason and finally has the hardware. Let’s not get it twisted before we start: Nowitzki sits as one of the best players in the league as well as an elite player at his position … Dwyane Wade met unanimous adulation after winning the ’06 Finals and getting the Finals MVP. His feats also launched him into premature talks with the game’s greatest shooting guards. Read More »
This weekend, on a 90-degree day that seemed to shuffle between gray clouds and blinding sunlight, we got after it. Beers and pizza. There was the head coach, the assistants, the volunteers and the graduate assistants, the whole football staff my dad coaches on. It was for me, red and peeling from way too much sun.
Amazing how everything turns out; my birthday parties as a kid growing up were nothing but basketball and ice cream cake. Read More »
If you went into any New York City bar to catch the NBA Finals, or even just heard bits and pieces of conversations on the street, you may have thought it was the Knicks going toe-to-toe with the Heat, not the Dallas Mavericks. Places were packed, people were loud and emotions ran high. The Finals have a tendency to do that. For a few weeks in June, when there’s not much else to watch, these games capture the hearts of sports fans everywhere. Heck, New Yorkers even split sides during the Celtics–Lakers matchups, but this particular Finals felt different. Not once in my life as a sports fan have I seen such overwhelming support for one team. Never in my life have I seen casual basketball fans so heavily invested in the complete failure of the Heat and in the utter triumph of the Mavs. Read More »
LeBron is the best player in the world. And LeBron is a killer. That’s why something isn’t adding up.
I love the little details of the game of basketball. Things like the fact that in the NBA the home team’s captain or best shooter picks the game ball before introductions. Last night, in the final moments of the Mavs’ clinching game, something happened that wasn’t discussed on the TV broadcast but I found really strange:
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My NBA fanhood boils down to a series of moments. Michael Jordan’s shove of Bryon Russell. Allan Houston’s Game 5 floater against the Heat to send the Knicks to the second round of the ‘99 playoffs. LeBron James’ 48 points against Detroit in Game 5 of the ’07 playoffs. The Kobe to Shaq alley-oop in Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference Finals. The Ron Artest Game 7 three-pointer in last years’ NBA Finals, followed by a ceremonial salute to his therapist. Read More »
It’ll be a long summer in Florida. In Miami, there’ll be questions every day surrounding the former future dynasty: Should they break them up? Should Spo come back? What’s up with LeBron? Then just a few hours away on the Florida Turnpike, Dwight Howard will grow more frustrated. In news that was expected, but otherwise wasn’t definitive until it came from the big man’s mouth, Dwight Howard plans on becoming a free agent next summer. Read More »
Last night, people couldn’t stop talking about Dirk Nowitzki and his championship hat. I mean, my boy Trey Kerby even wrote a whole post today titled, “The Dirk Nowitzki hat-stravaganza,” with a detailed photo journey of his hat-wearing innovations. So if you want to recreate Dirk’s championship hat swag game, here’s your chance: Read More »
Unless you’re from the Los Angeles area, chances are you don’t know the name Tim McGrath. A standout at Santa Monica High School, where he averaged 16.6 points and 6.5 boards per game as a senior, McGrath chose head coach Steve Fisher and San Diego State over the likes of West Virginia, Miami and Texas Tech. But after two seasons, he transferred to Cal State Dominguez Hills, bringing his tremendous vertical and horizontal leaping abilities with him. So while DeMar DeRozan started the summer off right at the Drew League, watch the 6-5 McGrath (a.k.a. “Vanilla Sky”) dunk all over NBA rookie Pooh Jeter this weekend. Nasty!
The NBA Draft is simply the most important time of the year for rebuilding
franchises. Just ask the Portland Trail Blazers. Whether it is the next Michael Jordan and Kevin Durant, or the next Sam Bowie and Greg Oden, we are out to identify the legitimate prospects from the phony ones. Every week, we will deliver profiles of top prospects and breakdown their game. We will give you player comparisons, ratings, outside opinions on the prospects, and much more. Last we had Colorado’s Alec Burks, and next up is BYU guard Jimmer Fredette. Read More »
This title run was for all the skeptics, all the haters.
Suddenly, Dirk’s playoff career looks pretty good (despite the fact that he was in the middle of one of the worst choke jobs ever seen in the ’06 Finals). His career postseason numbers are still standing in that ultra-elusive 25/10 club (25.9 & 10.4) and in the ridiculous Western Conference – there were a few years where you had to win 50 games JUST TO GET in the playoffs – Dirk has led Dallas to the playoffs in 11 consecutive seasons as the unquestioned alpha dog on his team. Read More »
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