This was definitely a week to remember in the NBA; the trade deadline has shifted the balance of power squarely back to the Eastern Conference. A boycott in Motown? And an old rivalry is renewed.
The current Sixers that survived the short, tumultuous regime of Eddie Jordan know what the Detroit Pistons are enduring.
Six Detroit Pistons, including starters Rip Hamilton (a DNP for weeks) and Rodney Stuckey sat out of yesterday’s practice in protest of team issues…most notably head coach John Keuster. The Sixers remained focused, defeated a Pistons team using only six players 110-94, and reach the .500 mark for the first time this season.
Former Chicago Bear great Dave Duerson died of a self-inflicted gun shot wound to the chest nearly two weeks ago. In his final hours the four-time pro bowler sent text messages to family members asking that his brain be examined for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative disease found in individuals that have been subjected to multiple concussions and other forms of head trauma. Duerson’s final message to his family should send chills down the spine of any owner or player lobbying for an 18-game NFL season.
New York nice: Chauncey makes this trio as formidable as there NBA is…
Just a couple of thoughts falling out of bed this Friday morning after the trade deadline: Mikhail Prokhorov is a straight up G. Deron Williams is one of the best players in the NBA and will eventually be a Eastern Conference main cog in the NBA shift of power. Is Kendrick Perkins numb or will he feel rejuvenated…swapped to OKC? I always thought Jeff Green to be a Celtic…maybe it was because of coaching legend John Thompson. Did the Celtics make a mistake? Baron Davis (I can’t see him playing in Cleveland) is probably as mad any professional athlete who has ever been traded for Cleveland is as far away from Hollywood as there is. The Sixers are playing well but they couldn’t get anyone to bite?
The Knicks stole the spotlight the way of that other New York standard…the Yankees. Chauncey Billups even sounds as if he’s from the Big Apple. Barkley may disagree the Knickerbockers can’t win now, but because of Mr. Big Shot’s professionalism and courage, anything is possible in the in the playoffs (team defense notwithstanding). In fact, I’d be hard pressed not to pick CB as the best point guard of this era and his presence in MSG gives New York something it hasn’t had at the position since Clyde (yeah I said it). Look at what he’s done and you better believe the Knicks are gonna squeeze every bit of talent clutch Billups has left. I must say…this second half will be something great to watch.
If I get one more screaming text or euphoric call from a Knicks fan…
The Sixers recovered from the “giddyness” of their light practice today as explained by coach Doug Collins only to regroup and blow out the Washington Wizards 117-94. Eclipsing last season’s win total of 27 in the process. Jrue Holiday (20 points) and Thaddeus Young (18 points 10 rebounds) paced the Sixers.
The game took a surreal turn early in the third quarter as Wizards point guard Kirk Hinrich (in street clothes at the time) disappeared from the visiting Wizards bench as he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in a five-player deal.
The second half of the 2010-11 season is underway and while the Miami Heat are starting to hit their stride there’s another team slow-walking in the East. Quiet and unassuming just like their leader Derrick Rose - ladies and gentlemen the Chicago Bulls are coming.
A Raymond Felton for your thoughts?
Let me get on my soap box for just a second before I get into the trade. The NBA for years has been about the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. They own half of all championships won in the history of the league. Since 1969-1970 those two teams have combined for 17 championships (LA 11, Boston 6). The other teams who have won multiple rings in that span are Chicago with 6, San Antonio with 4, Detroit 3 and Houston with 2. Milwaukee, Philly, Portland, Golden State, Seattle, Washington and Miami have each won one championship during that period.
To put it further in perspective, eight teams in thirty years have been to the pinnacle.
Kobe put the league and sports world on notice that he ain’t done yet…
I had a 5 hour conversation last night with someone from my childhood and missed the game live. What I did see out the corner of my eye was that Beans was not having any talk that he is done and represented his home court just as any of the greats would have and have done in garnering his 4th MVP award (37 points and 14 boards…10 offensive). I caught the replay later and thoroughly enjoyed the game. It was competitive, the teams played defense when they had to, the spurt of dunks that are happenstance in these affairs was just enough for the fans to enjoy, Blake Griffin got some burn. Kevin Durant and Amar’e Stoudemire played excellent and LeBron made a visible statement the league better recognize in recording only the second Oscar (29 points, 12 rips and 10 dimes) since Michael Jordan did so in 1997.
I don’t want to hype this up in the least but I dig everything about it. Nubyjas Wilborn? Great…great get. This right here is why I’m so hard on Black athletes, editors and especially sportswriters. Please represent like Wilborn did below. Mr. Jones obviously is a man of true stock and realizes in full capacity why he was put on this earth off the field. Does everyone have to be like this? No, because we all have our own path but at least bring something substantive…something more than neutral BS that only satisfies corporate America. Just something…just a little bit of something for the world to hold on to when the lights are on and your boss is watching. If you are paper, go throw ya damn self in the trash and quit wasting time and space.
(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The redshirt rookie was able to carry the entire night but had serious competition…
I will always wonder why LeBron James and Dwyane Wade won’t compete in the dunk contest because every other dunker of their ilk and superstar lineage has, but last night was pretty exciting nonetheless. There was mad creativity and JaVale McGee made a name for himself. I know you all saw Julius try to slob his Mom down before his three ball dunk right?
Yeah there were some misses before the completion of dunks and I thought the idea of having the fans vote for the winner was flawed but it was a good show. I’m sure we all like seeing dunks we never saw before.
The 2011 NBA All-Star weekend concludes on Sunday, February 20 at 8 p.m. (ET) with the NBA Tip-Off presented by AutoTrader.com followed by TNT’s exclusive coverage of the NBA All-Star Game at 8:30 p.m. (ET).
Wood tells me this interview led to his jersey being retired in Seattle
Jazzy turnaround jumpers with Common like words that he would eventually sing to a beautiful Somali paradise bird. Fought the power fantastic in a case that many would deem futile and drastic. Celebrated with Black fists and bare feet on Olympic ringed Mexican soil that made most of the nation’s blood boil. Iverson, Magic, Bird, Flash and King James lives will never be the same without the fame that he gave as he courageously broke the historic NBA Supreme Court Case power chain. Scotty beamed and socialite dreams that seemed to crown Wood king to his Iman queen. Paranoid days that blurred into nights until the Father said son, get up and fight! Four daughters later says the good Lord was right. Heaven watchin’ Mississippi burnin’ reminiscent bare soles ironically took their toll on a devilish role and helped Wood reclaim his God fearing soul…
During the draft, as I was talking to John Wall, I thought to myself “Wow, this kid is grounded”. He was very articulate it seemed and focused on becoming that next generation NBA star in a league changing by the point guard. He’s having an above average rookie campaign…averaging 15 points and 9 dimes while pulling down 4 boards but he has not the spotlight. That belongs to Blake Griffin. Griffin was able to what amounts to “redshirt” his rookie season and watch 82 games from the bench to develop his professional psyche and get his body in shape after breaking his knee cap. We all know what transpired and Griffin is now the clear Rookie of the Year after coming out in monstrous fashion. The two stars got together last night in a play most of us will remember for a long time…
Woke up to some crazy news. According to Marc J. Spears (check the picture in our interview with Marc. Talk about irony) of Yahoo Sports, Reggie Miller did not receive enough votes to be inducted in the NBA Hall of Fame on the first ballot. Do you want me to repeat that? According to Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports…uh never mind. Crazy huh. Like really crazy, Steve Nash getting two MVP’s crazy (The main reason why I went crazy over Nash’s two awards is because of these moments. Nash will walk into the Hall on a bed of mainstream rose petals (because of his two awards) despite being South African and Canadian (don’t get this twisted. You know exactly what I mean here) while one of the greatest clutch American shooters of all time will have to wait another year. Of course Reggie will get in, but why in the hell isn’t he afforded what Nash (and other great players regardless of color) will receive as an afterthought?
Sorry Nash fans but it is what it is. I will not stop on this topic and will speak on it whenever someone is slighted because it shows the hypocrisy and cold blooded, yellow bellied, kiss all the fans asses nerve of some of these cats you call journalists.
Another interesting topic is a piece written by Buzz Bissinger. Buzz was one of my favorite interviews (the intro was directed at Will Leitch) because he gives it to you straight no chaser.
Everyone notices them, even if you say you don’t. They represent that franchise to the world at large. And the rare ones, the great ones become iconic. What am I talking about you might ask? Simple.
I’m talking about uniforms.
But not all of them are as cool as the ones I showed you above. Some of them are just plain sorry. And they need to be fixed. What would I do you ask? Easy, I’ll modify, return to tradition or change entirely. My choices after the cut.
In yet another episode in the annals of misplaced moral outrage, Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buerhle, a man who describes himself as animal lover, wished an injury on Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick.