At some point during the fourth quarter, as the Hawks were getting all they could handle from the Rockets and seemed on the verge of their first home loss of the season, Dominique Wilkins said the same thing you’re gonna hear from a bunch of opposing team announcers about the Rockets this year: “This is a GOOD basketball team!” in a surprised tone … In what might have been the most entertaining finish of the year, Houston went up by seven midway through the fourth when Aaron Brooks dusted Joe Johnson on a crossover/hesitation along the baseline for a layup. Read More »
An NBA championship can do a lot of different things for a lot of different people.
If you’re a Hall of Fame-bound veteran who’s carried mediocre teams for years, e.g. Kevin Garnett in ‘08, a ring can be the final piece of validation to cap a stellar career. If you’re an up-and-coming superstar like D-Wade in ‘06, it’s a standard-bearer by which to set future goals and a quick booster into the next level of fame. Read More »
For a franchise that supposedly doesn’t have any money, the Grizzlies went all-out for their home opener. After introducing the Pistons to the theme from Beverly Hills Cop (cute), the Jumbotron showed a dramatic over-the-top video where Allen Iverson and Rudy Gay talked about “Grizz Nation” and defending homecourt. Then the DJ put on a Michael Myers/Halloween-inspired track, and the Jabbawockeez appeared at midcourt to dance. THEN they brought out Three Six Mafia, wearing Memphis jerseys and performing “Stay Fly” to bleed into the player intros, complete with smoke machines and everything else. Read More »
Every NBA team has a go-to guy, and there’s really only room for one. And it’s not strictly who takes the last-second shot. It’s the guy who regularly gets the ball when things are getting tense in the fourth; the guy expected to calm things down when teammates are getting sloppy; the guy called upon to snuff out an opponent’s rally, or spark a rally of his own; the guy who’s not just supposed to make shots, but make the right decisions. Bottom line: Who do you want the offense to run through when everything is on the line? From #30 to #1, these are the League’s best go-to guys…Read More »
When Gerald wrote last week about cities that deserve an NBA team, he focused on just North American cities. But after reading that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dominique Wilkins, Vlade Divac, Robert Horry and Tim Hardaway were going to touch down in Manila next week, I realized they weren’t just there for vacation. Turns out Filipinos are crazy about the NBA. Read More »
After putting together the modified Top-50 list of players from the ‘08-09 season, I had about 50 leftovers who just missed the cut. And from that, there could’ve been a whole sub-category titled “Wait ‘Til Next Year.”
Going position-by-position again, here are five centers who look the most ready to crack the 2010 Top-10 with their performances next season: Read More »
My sister knew about LeBron James before I did. Back in 2002, when ‘Bron went mainstream and appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated (”The Chosen One”), I was in school out here at Seattle U, while my sister was in school in Ohio, where LeBron was already a local deity.
Leading up to LBJ’s first national TV game, we were talking about the hype surrounding the kid. “What if he’s just average?” I asked her. “Like he’s not the next Jordan, but he’s not a complete bust?” I think the example I used was Derrick McKey.
Six years into LeBron’s pro career, we’re well beyond that point. Read More »
All eyes were on Blake Griffin yesterday, as he made his Vegas Summer League debut and pretty much lived up to every lofty expectation you could have put on him. Blake went for 27 points (11-15 FG) and 12 boards in 29 minutes, leading the Clippers to a win over the Lakers. He hit a three, dunked on a couple of dudes, showed a nice turnaround jumper, used the glass effectively a la Duncan, and showed he can also lead a fast break. Good thing there were plenty of cameras in the building; this could be the high point of the Clippers’ season … Read More »
Blake Griffin, the best player and biggest star in tomorrow’s NBA Draft, is a genuinely nice guy. But when he wants something, he will destroy anything in his path to get it.
Blake Griffin looks out of place in a kitchen. Appliances aren’t made for 6-10, 255-pound incredible hulks, especially in University of Oklahoma student housing. Read More »
