In light of seeing all of these former NBA stars getting into trouble, I’ve been thinking about a whole lot, about untapped potential (hence my repeated posts on Penny & G-Hill & ‘Mac) and about why some guys make it and others don’t. It’s more than talent. Much more.

It’s always so hard to judge someone from afar. You grow up believing most of the stories you hear, thinking “oh this dude’s a bad guy…this guy is cool, but sometimes he doesn’t care…this guy can’t play.” But eventually, you find out that most of the stuff you hear is untrue. Read More »

What a difference Kobe and LeBron make. It’s not like Team USA needed any Redeem Team reinforcements on the court during its World Championship opener against Croatia — they blasted ‘em 106-78, light work — but the lack of “star power” was noticeable in other ways. For starters, there was NOBODY in the stands; it looked like a mid-February Minnesota Timberwolves game. Second, well, here’s how Dime’s Austin Burton put it: “I called the nearest sports bar in Washington Heights (a legit place) to ask if they were showing the game. They had no idea what I was talking about. When I got there the bartender let me find ESPN Classic (on the smallest TV they had), and no one seemed interested but me. The re-run of yesterday’s Yankees game got more attention. One waiter said what I think a lot of people feel: ‘When all the big guys dropped out, I didn’t care anymore.’” … Read More »

In June of 2003, the Detroit Pistons made a decision that forever changed the face and future of the Denver Nuggets. By selecting Darko Milicic with the No. 2 pick, it allowed Denver to finally secure a franchise player in Carmelo Anthony with the next selection.

Since that evening in the Garden, the Nuggets have only gotten better. Business the prior season though, pre-Melo, was anything but exciting for the city of Denver. The 2002-2003 squad, which featured a younger Juwan Howard, ultimately rotated through 21 players and 65 losses. The Nuggets finished the year with 17 wins and found themselves 43 games behind the division-leading and eventual NBA Champions, San Antonio Spurs. Read More »