The Starting Five

“They are who the world accepts and we are who the world hated.” -Jalen Rose

When clicking on a link to this site and navigating the pages making up TSF, one page in particular defines the site’s origin…The Starting Five is.

The picture that heads this interview was and still is the pic posted on that particular page. The image in my mind speaks unity without saying a word. When the 5X’s rocked the college basketball scene they were everything me that represented my passion for sports. My Muhammad Ali, my Reggie Jackson, my Albert Belle and definitely my Randall Cunningham. Look at those names. What do they have in common? None were universally loved initially. They were seen as misunderstood malcontents unwilling to fall in lockstep with traditional American values. Values that embody paying homage to the team. The mainstream. The dream. The American dream. An American dream set on rising and living and coexisting with one another through hard work, dedication and humility but moving slow as Los Angeles traffic. Insert Vincent Price’s laugh here because ever so often a lightening bolt is shot out of a galvanized black cannon.

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For the past couple of weeks, the Sixers managed to get by with timely defense and strong play from their bench.

Today they got neither.

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The Sixers opened the 4th quarter with a 15-2 run and stifling defense to finish off the Atlanta Hawks 105-100.

Once again Thaddeus Young led the charge behind the NBA’s best reserve unit scoring 16 points and channeling a defensive surge that put the game away.

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For decades sports aficionados have raved about how Bill Russell’s skills and dominance have cemented him as one of the greatest players in NBA history. Great timing, a generous owner and hall of fame teammates helped make him the greatest winner in American team sports.

Amidst all of that championship gleam, Russell and his family met a dark side of those days and times which is rarely discussed.

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Conducted an hour interview with Jalen Rose in response to the controversy surrounding the epic Fab Five documentary earlier. Will post ASAP.

I was texting a friend with hopes she kept me awake to check out this classic…to no avail. I woke up at the end of regulation and obviously had trouble falling back asleep later because the game was epic. Kobe Bryant, who in my mind catapulted himself to the front of the MVP race, scored 42 points, had 12 rips and dished 9 assists. He, as usual, made some huge shots and despite his game winner coming early in the shot clock, it was truly a dagger amongst men. Steve Nash did his thing as well with a 19 point, 20 assist effort. There were many other great performances. The box score is below following a video recap of the game as well as the notes.

TNT’s NBA Thursday coverage continues Thursday, March 31 at 8 p.m. ET with a doubleheader featuring the Boston Celtics @ San Antonio Spurs followed by the Dallas Mavericks @ Los Angeles Lakers.

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On Saturday night, UFC 128 happened at the Prudential Center (nicknamed The Rock) in Newark, New Jersey. Lots of things happened. And if you were watching, as I was, you might have thought you learned something. But what do I think I learned? Easy. I’ll tell you three things, after the jump.

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People love winners. In fact, there’s a wildly hilarious piece of sound from San Francisco 49′er’s head coach Mike Singletary declaring his particular fondness for exactly that.

But what is a winner exactly? What do you have to be to become one? What do you have to be willing to sacrifice? The one man who can answer that question better than most is Dan Gable.

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The champ…Anderson Silva

Anyone have any questions about the UFC this weekend or the NCAA Division 1 Wrestling Championships? How about the UFC buying Strikeforce? Or even a comment on last weekend’s festivities involving the Sweet Science? Ask and I will answer.

Grant has finished his career strong

*Posting ’07 interview from the old site in light of Grant’s piece in the NY Times. Writing something on Fab Five Doc and Grant’s response now-Mizzo*

Many athletes are not afforded a second chance and ultimately languish among the has beens and what ifs. Grant Hill has become the soul model for athletes that haven’t the courage to fight and find their true sense of career satisfaction in the midst of adversity.

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*repost from July 24, 2009 (because of Fab Five doc). I’m working on last part as this posts. –Mizzo*

If you are a sports fan, there are players that come along and give you a charge. Sometimes you don’t know why. It could be their athletic ability that is sports exciting. It could be their demeanor or the way they play the game. Maybe there is something familiar in the way they do things on and off the court when interacting with teammates. Chris Webber was that dude for me. I was working at the post office when the Fab Five shocked the scene. I dug them because they would bang on you and your grandmother, help her up in a gentleman type of way, leave you embarrassed on the floor, talk trash to you the whole way up the court and  then pay you the proper respect after the game. Damn they were talented! In my eyes, the face of that dynamic team, Chris Webber, was the perfect combination of student athlete…with swag. I learn about success through the accomplishments of others and then set the bar for myself to see if their way of doing things suits my determination and following Webb’s career gives me a sense of chill even when I wanna show ‘em some rage.

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TNT’s NBA coverage continues with a special Tuesday night doubleheader on March 22 at 8 p.m. ET featuring the Chicago Bulls @ Atlanta Hawks followed by the Phoenix Suns @ Los Angeles Lakers.

Coverage for the 2011 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship begins on Tuesday, March 15 and Wednesday, March 16 with the FIRST FOUR on truTV. For the first time in the tournament’s 73-year history, fans will be able to watch all of the games live in their entirety across four national television networks: CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV.

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The NFL Owners and NFLPA are in the final hours to save the 2011-12 NFL season from a lockout. Things did seem pretty optinistic in  the beginning of the week, but both sides left last night with nothing positive to say - leaving little optimism that the 2011-12 season will begin on time.

So if there is no football for the first 4-6 weeks of the season, how will you occupy those Sunday afternoons? And once play resumes, will you have the same zeal for the season as if there wasn’t a lockout.

The demise of the World Champion Los Angeles Lakers has been greatly exaggerated. The Champs have won eight in a row – including a 99-83 pounding of the San Antonio Spurs, a game which the Lakers held a 30+ point lead.

The Lakers are the top team in my NBA Power Rankings for this week - here are the rest.

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Chris Webber (I’ll drop the last installment of his definitive interview on March 13th, the day the Fab Five documentary airs on ESPN. The last part is mainly quotes from former teammates, competitors and coaches Bernie Bickerstaff and Steve Fisher) is the truth around these parts and fortunately he has the opportunity to speak freely on NBATV’s set. This is why I say Change The Narrative because as the sports world incorrectly focuses on players crying after regular season games, so much gets lost. Spo should have never told the media that players were crying in the locker room and we should all be glad an objective opinion was given on the matter. His video as well as the transcript falls below.

Voting is open on NBA.com for next week’s Fan Night match-up that will air on Tuesday, March 15. Fans can select between the following games:

Milwaukee Bucks @ Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks @ Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards @ Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks @ Portland Trail Blazers.

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Forty years ago, America was clinging to what very little “innocence” remained from the violence and turmoil that dominated the 1960′s – the assassination of a President and his brother some years later, the Civil Rights Movement and the assassinations of three of its leaders – not to mention the threat of a nuclear war and a conflict in Southeast Asia that remained unresolved.

And then there was the unfinished business of Muhammad Ali.

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