The Starting Five

Black Pharaoh is one of my favorite athletes. Passion bursts pipes…

Yeah…I have. Many. Bouncing and not. Sometimes things just happen. I would tell bar owners in the clubs and bars I bounced in when a fight would happen hours before it went down. It’s just a vibe…an aura. KG knows this. He knows when his team is down it’s time to start a bar fight…and his once in a generation head coach, Doc Rivers, in this case, is the bar owner.

TNT’s NBA coverage continues Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012 at 7 p.m. ET with a special one-hour edition of TNT NBA Tip-off presented by AutoTrader.com. Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith will have the exclusive announcement of the 2012 NBA All-Star starters.

Following the pre-game show, TNT’s doubleheader will feature the Chicago Bulls @ New York Knicks (8 p.m. ET) followed by the Denver Nuggets @ Los Angeles Clippers (10:30 p.m. ET).

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Combined 4784 yards from scrimmage and 38 touchdowns in first season

Been out of commission all week with something or other that made my head feel like a frozen pineapple and I’m still am not totally right, but I’m in the land of the living so no complaints.

Let’s get to it. You are the brand new owner of a sports franchise playing its first season. Throwing money everywhere to get the word out. Tweeting till your silver spoon grabbing fingers cramp up, eyes red as hell and your significant other screaming up to your office to get off the damn computer and come to bed. The draft is a few days away and you’re excited…

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Posting these two interviews from 2008 because today is the anniversary of Yo! Bum Rush The Show’s release in 1987.

My original chat with Chuck from ’06

Just so you know, this entire week is dedicated to Martin Luther King on The Starting Five. We don’t do the one day thing…April 4th is just as important because it documents the true struggle of Blacks. I won’t belabor you with an extensive lede on the accomplishments of Chuck D and Public Enemy. We all have recited his lyrics at one time or another on the site, so just see this as a P.E. discussion continuum. Part II tomorrow.

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(Repost because of the anniversary of Yo! Bum Rush The Show’s release in 1987)

Whos Your Hero.

We live in time where trust, loyalty and honesty mean absolutely nothing. Folks say they are your friend one minute and hate you the very next second. Hate you so much they could care less if you live or die and will tell you so to your face probably in the presence of your children. Whos Your Hero.

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Reports of  Deron Williams’ game rotting away in the North Jersey swamplands have been greatly exaggerated. Williams poured in 34 points to go along with 11 assists as the New Jersey Nets came out with an aggressive game plan and stuck to it as they stunned the Atlantic Division leading 76′ers 97-90 in overtime at the Wells Fargo Center.

Lou Williams led the Sixers with 17 points.

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Josh Smith’s presence in the paint is comparable to that of a bouncer in the world-famous gentleman’s establishment in his beloved ATL -bold, deliberate and often times - violent. For seven seasons, Smith has been one of the cornerstones of an Atlanta Hawks franchise that now has enough youth and veteran leadership to take them to the pinnacle of the NBA.

Smith, in his seventh season is off to a great offensive start as are the 13-4 Atlanta Hawks. The 6’9″ power forward is averaging 16 points and 9 rebounds per game. Smith’s play at the defensive end comes as no surprise – averaging one steal and almost two blocks per game.

Last Friday, prior to the Atlanta Hawks contest against the Philadelphia 76′ers, I had a chance to sit down with a slimmer Josh Smith (lost approximately 25 lbs.) not long before tipoff.

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“Whenever I play and I don’t hesitate, good things happen”. Great quote by Chris Bosh, who looks good this season. He’s comfortable…on the floor and with the media post games. His 35 points last night carried the Heat load in a a game LeBron struggled vs. his former team in Miami.

Voting is open on NBA.com, NBA Facebook Page and Yahoo.com for next week’s Fan Night match-up that will air on Jan. 31.

Fans can select between the following games: Boston Celtics @ Cleveland Cavaliers, New Jersey Nets @ Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons @ New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets @ Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings @ Golden State Warriors.

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Missed morning shoot around

Elton Brand was given the go ahead to play about an hour before game after suffering from gastroenteritis. If the Washington Wizards had their way the Sixers power forward would’ve been quarantined.

Brand scored 11 first quarter points in a contest where the home team led by as many as 34 points against an uninspired Wizards team in 103-83 laughter at the Wells Fargo Center.

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(Photo:AP)

Billy Cundiff…meet Gary Anderson and Scott Norwood…

Two cities, two brothers and two kickers.  In what turned out to be two of the best conference title games in recent memory the New England Patriots and New York Giants find themselves in Super Bowl XLVI courtesy of placekickers.

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409 wins and countless lives affected

Sad turn of events in Happy Valley. Being a Pennsylvania native, one of the first sports names I heard was Joe Paterno. 46 years coaching at the same university will do that. We can scrutinize his handling of the scandal and rightfully so, but this honestly isn’t the time for that.

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(Lynne Sladky/AP)

The Sixers have endured an emotionally draining week - an overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets followed by a great comeback win against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night. Last night the Sixers were facing the Miami Heat, who were without Dwayne Wade (ankle) and looking to measure themselves against last spring’s first round playoff opponent.

The Sixers were right there with the Heat until the third quarter when the Sixers trouble defending the Heat became evident. Chris Bosh and LeBron James would combine for 58 points along with major contributions from the starters and reserves to defeat the Sixers 113-92. Giving the Heat seven consecutive wins against the Sixers.

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I must say that I’m really looking forward to tomorrow’s NFC Championship Game between the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49′ers. For the eighth time in the last 32 years these two will meet in the playoffs. There have been some very memorable games and moments in those matchups.

Tomorrow, a new chapter will be written in this postseason rivalry.

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Our first contest on Championship Sunday takes us to Foxboro, Mass. where the New England Patriots look to avenge their playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens two seasons ago to earn a trip to Super Bowl XLVI. While this may be the last opportunity for future hall of famer Ray Lewis to play for the game’s ultimate prize.

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(H. Rumph Jr)

The Philadelphia 76′ers earned a character win tonight in front of 17,724 that willed them to a second half surge to gain a 90-76 win over the Atlanta Hawks. The Sixers were fortunate to only trail by eight points at the half after struggling mightily in the first 24 minutes of action. Hopefully this victory will silence the skeptics that point out the Sixers haven’t beaten any of the upper echelon teams in the league this season. “The game against Golden State and tonight will be two games thus far in the season that I think are going to be moments that we look back on that could change the course of your whole year.

It was also a historical night for forward Andre Iguodala who recorded his 1,000th steal, placing him in the top five on the 76′ers all-time list joining the likes of Maurice Cheeks, Allen Iverson, Julius Erving and Charles Barkley.

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