(AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)

Will the Spurs recover or are they done on this level?

How fitting that NBA games on TNT are often interrupted by commercials for the show “The Closer.” The protagonist here isn’t a fierce female attorney though, it’s a dominant alpha male basketball player. These playoffs are cases and he just closed another one brilliantly. Let’s call Kobe Bryant the Thurgood Marshall of the NBA.

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(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello

I thought this was no team?

Smith on the lack of emotion from the San Antonio Spurs after the ‘no call’ following contact on Spurs guard Brent Barry in Game 4: “I’m surprised at the level of acceptance the San Antonio Spurs had in the moment, forget about afterwards. In that moment, they had no emotion about Brent Barry. Maybe because Brent Barry isn’t accustomed to be in that situation so the team said this guy shouldn’t have been in that situation, and maybe they didn’t think it was a foul either. But the level of acceptance surprised me. If you did that in Philadelphia, New York or Detroit, there would have been a riot in here.”

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Tomorrow marks the 25th Anniversary of the Philadelphia 76ers sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1983 NBA Finals - it would also be the last major sports title won in Philadelphia.

It has been a rough stretch for the diehard sports fans in Philadelphia, but for a certain 11-year old back in ‘83, it was a great way to kick off the summer.

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Chicago bound once again?

I was sent this statement in regards to Doug Collins being hired by the Chicago Bullsearlier today:

“I have spoken with Bulls management recently about their head coaching vacancy and will resume conversations after the conclusion of my work for TNT in the Western Conference Finals. There is no agreement in place.”

I’ll preface this by saying that I’m far from a political pundit. I am a registered voter (Democrat) and I exercise that right. I’m fully aware of what’s happening in the political arena but hardly do I ever indulge in political discussions…Until now.

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Lakers head coach Phil Jackson and Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich talked to TNT prior to Game #4

Jackson on San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili’s performance in Game #3: “The impact that (Manu) Ginobili had in the last 18 minutes of the first half (of Game 3) was tremendous. Every time we’d come back, he’d hit a three. We matched scores for a while and obviously, at the end of the half, we fell behind and stayed behind the rest of the game.”

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I know this is gonna start some shit, but somebody’s gotta put the blogsphere on notice and it might as well be us. I don’t agree with everything Buzz says, but the man has been around long enough to have earned the respect for his words whether you like them or not.

Braylon probably didn’t know what hit him. He wanted that PTI Tony Reali button bad

Uh….Go Blue!

Just gotta get something off my chest. The check and balance is never personal, always business…for it’s our destiny…

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Barkley on whether or not Spurs guard Manu Ginobili’s performance is crucial to the series: “It’s not about Manu (Ginobili), it’s about (the Spurs) bench. Even if (Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Ginobili) have great games, it’s still not enough points to beat the Lakers. (The Spurs) have to hope that their role players: Robert Horry, Michael Finley, Bruce Bowen and (Ime) Udoka play well at home. We’ve seen that throughout the playoffs…role players play better at home.”

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Will somebody ever step up and give us what he gave?

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First Hillary’s words so there’s no confusion or the common excuse of her words being used out of context:

Then Keith Olberman goes off for ten plus minutes:

For anyone to say the words assassination in a race led by a Black man is both unacceptable, inexcusable and just plain bullshit. “My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. You know I just, I don’t understand it.”

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Calipari’s best player ever?

Sometimes when you win you wish you hadn’t. Sometimes the prize isn’t worth the pressure. Sometimes winning puts you in a situation where choices must be made. Sometimes winning comes with responsibility.

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I’m sure some athletes feel this is their life

Posted this previously in the context of athletes writing their own blogs to offset inaccurate and overly cynical journalism. All is not lost for I gotta give props to folks who are doing the right thing. With all the outcry going on with blogs lately, I thought the time was relevant to repost the question.

Should athletes take a stand to make sure their legacies are accurately reported? Are they entitled to such? Should we the public hold editors more accountable for the work of their reporters? Is it all about money? Should athletes surround themselves with more conscious folk so their PR is stable? Is sports merely entertainment or athletics packaged professionally? Are you happy with the way sports is reported? What would you change? Is it personal to you or could you care less? Do athletes get too much attention? Should they care about the fans? Why so? Are they entitled to personal time even when in public? Is cynical and snarky reporting necessary? What purpose does it serve? Should bloggers be held accountable for their words? Why or why not?

Trust me, I could go on and on…

Spoke with Buzz Bissinger for around an hour yesterday. The interview will be posted Monday morning. It’s a doooozie, but you know how we do at TSF, so what do you really expect?

**The interview will be posted Tuesday because of the holiday. Holidays creep up on us in this business. My bad**

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Uh…say what Kobe?

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant on Spurs forward Bruce Bowen: “I love him as a basketball player. He doesn’t get his just due as a defensive player because he’s playing with Tim (Duncan). I really enjoy playing against him, I don’t think he’s a dirty player at all, he’s gotten a reputation that’s not merited. I think he’s a really smart defensive player and I have a lot of respect for him.”

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I boof on you! Don’t even think Timmay is getting though this one

First things first..just shot this from Ron Ron’s people…

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In 1983, the Rocky statue was no more than a movie prop. In Rocky III, it was presented as a gift from the City of Philadelphia to the “Italian Stallion” Rocky Balboa for winning the Heavyweight Championship from Apollo Creed. The statue was mounted atop the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Today, the statue is an attraction for visitors from around the world, many come to Philadelphia just to run the steps of the Museum and to see the statue of their hero.

For yours truly, the idol worship bestowed upon this fictional champion may possibly be at the root of my beloved city’s professional sports championship drought.

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Got some comments in moderation that I’m not posting but I wanted to get this up last night.

Loved Ossie Davis’ words post shooting. Definitely Spike’s best work.

Didn’t know this next scene existed. Did you?

You stickin’ around bruh? Naaah

I know…it sure as hell isn’t Friday, but who wins the lottery tonight? If you had the keys to a franchise in the lottery, do you go with Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, Eric Gordon, Brook Lopez, OJ Mayo or some other cat?

I said during the season that Miami was gonna land the #1 and go with Beasley so I gotta stick to my guns.

Here are the participants:

1. Miami

2. Minnesota

3. Seattle

4. Memphis

5. New York

6. L.A. Clippers

7. Charlotte

8. Milwaukee

9. Indiana

10. Chicago

11. Phoenix

12. Sacramento

13. Portland

Ice Man? Is that you?

TNT’s Craig Sager interviewed Spurs guard Manu Ginobili before Game #7

Ginobili on if the Spurs can win without a big game from center Tim Duncan: “Yes, I think we can (win without Duncan). He’s a very smart player and every time he is going to get blitzed defensively, he’s going to kick it (out). I think we’ve got good enough shooters to step up. I think we haven’t been making those shots in (New Orleans). If we add that part of the game (and play) solid, steady defense for four quarters…not just three, we have a chance (to win).”

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Special to TSF…

Poet and Modi there’s no caption needed here huh? Be Peace my brothas…

So since many of you know that I, TheSportsWatcher, am a unabashed New York Knicks fan, I’m sure you are all wondering what I think about the acquisition of Coach Mike D’Antoni as the new head coach at the Garden.

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You would think McCain would be versed 500 hundred times to have a standard response handy just in case…

Just let it run and brace one time for ya mind because some folk will actually vote for this cat just because Barack is Black.

Ain’t No Future In Yo Frontin’ folks. If ya racist ya racist. Just stop with all the bullshit euphemisms and put on that sheet. Come on…you know you want to.

1983 Champs…vastly underrated

If the Boston Celtics win the NBA Championship in June, the team of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett will be considered one of the greatest title teams ever assembled.

With that thought in mind; who do you consider the Greatest NBA Championship Team in your lifetime. Is it the 1996 Chicago Bulls who went 72-10 or was it the 1986 Boston Celtics, the 1985 Lakers or the 1989 Bad Boys of Detroit. Maybe it was my favorite the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers.

Let the debate begin…

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Timmy has been there…Paul has not

Game 7 brings pressure.

Everything in the off-season leads towards the season. Everything is the season leads to the playoffs. Every playoff series has the potential to end in a Game 7.

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Don’t start none…won’t be none

Ever wonder how and why the blogosphere took off so fast? My guess is because we are a country of rage. Everyone’s mad with somebody and all are getting their blog on to tell the tales. You got your democrats hating republicans hating socialists hating green party hating black people hating white people hating old people hating young people hating men hating women hating transgendered hating rural America hating urban America hating the west coast hating the east coast hating tall hating short hating skinny hating fat……and that’s like only .00001% of the hate…I didn’t even go international…..there’s some love too, but not nearly as much.

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Broke down the door with a shelltop kick!

Just some videos…

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