29 years ago, I first heard Dancing Machine and I was never the same again.

I imitated him. I emulated him. I looked up to him. And I wanted to be just like him.

If there was ever any public figure who touched my soul like nobody ever did, it was Michael Jackson. No, not Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson. It was The Michael Jackson. The Moonwalker, they call him. The real M.J.

The man in the mirror with the glove showed me why music is truly the language of the soul. In an era when a lot of times humanity is lacking love, Michael continued to inspire and give hope to the world despite his many mistakes, shortcomings, faults, or whatever you want to call the very things he suffered from.

He transcended cultures and brought the world together. He made all of us feel the kind of love that we're missing in this wretched and wicked world.

Even in death, his message will continue to be heard and felt until the end of time. The man's influence is that powerful, simply because all he did was care.

Watching his memorial today in downtown Los Angeles propelled me to write this because of his impact on my life. His undying passion for all things human made him a true role model and superstar in my eyes. His relentlessness to pursue perfection in his craft is what makes me continue to strive for perfection in everything I do. Even when I blog, I edit my post or comment for errors countless times because I don't want to see mistakes. This is what Michael meant to me.

Truth be told, I'm neither extraordinary nor legendary like M.J. but I will sure as hell try to be like him. Heck, I'm unemployed now after being laid off twice in the last seven months and I'm at an all-time low mentally. Yet I remain strong, I maintain hope, I continue doing what I do, and human nature tells me to keep loving life to the fullest and keep on striving for perfection. This is all because of Michael and his message.

27 years ago during my late grandfather's birthday party, I danced to Billie Jean in front of over 100 guests. In 1989 when I was 12 years old, I performed a Smooth Criminal/Billie Jean medley at my junior high school talent show to honor Jackson. I wore "the glove", spun around, stopped, kicked out my leg, and moonwalked to my heart's content. Many years have passed since then, and although my moves are nowhere near as sharp, I continue to try and imitate those moves when I'm standing in front of a mirror while Thriller is blasting in my living room. I certainly don't stop til I get enough, and this is what Michael meant to me. His influence is timeless.

I guess the reason I'm writing all of this is not so much to pay tribute to him but more so to convey the imprint he made on my life. His love for music, for people, for entertaining, and for life showed in his tremendous character and ethic. To this day, his integrity, talent, and genius is umatched by any singer, actor, musician, athlete, or entertainer that's ever lived. And his loyalty to the people showed how greatly his work of art touched so many people's lives in countless ways.

Simply put, M.J. had this magical and captivating power to make me, as well as millions of others, feel very special. For this, I am utterly thankful to M.J. for blessing my heart.

Hopefully his legacy and his memory and his message will touch the hearts of our world's leaders so they can realize within themselves the example that this man has meant to the citizens of this planet and inspire them to make a change for the betterment of humanity.

Hopefully we can all help each other - regardless of race, religion, culture, or color - and transform ourselves in the process.

Rest in peace, King Michael. I've been thrilled to know you. Say what's up to my dad for me.

"Excellence is not an act but a habit" - Aristotle; This is the entire Lakers' organization, from owner Jerry Buss all the way down to the janitors and concession workers at Staples Center.

"The things you do and the things you don't do, they all send a message" - a former boss of mine; Jameer Nelson, you should have never forced your coach's hand and returned to play in the Finals because you not only disrupted your team's chemistry but you also took Rafer Alston out of his comfort zone not to mention what you didn't do - failed to body up on D-Fish at the end of regulation and left D-Fish open to double-team Kobe with 30 seconds left in overtime - to keep #2 in purple-and-gold from sealing your team's fate in Game 4 with a pair of big-time 3-pointers.

"It's the journey, not the destination" - Harley Davidson; Los Angeles Lakers, 2005-2009.

"What I dream of is an art of balance" - Henry Matisse; Without Pau Gasol, the Lakers would be such a one-dimensional team.

"Men willingly believe what they wish" - Julius Caesar; This can be said of the resilient Orlando Magic fans, who hope their team can extend the series on Sunday.

"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities" - Voltaire; Coach Stan Van Gundy, for some reason, believed that Nelson could play a key role in the series. And so he cut Alston's playing time in half and benched gritty veteran backup Anthony Johnson for the series. Lo and behold, it bit him in the you-know-what.

"Concentration comes out of a combination of confidence and hunger" - Arnold Palmer; I'm not saying that Dwight Howard lacks the will to win, but if he wants to make big plays down the stretch he needs to work on his game tenfold this summer. In my opinion, he's way too nice on the court.

"Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win" - Sun-tzu; This is the difference between the two teams' strategies.

"The wise man will love; all others will desire" - Afranius; KOBE plays for the love of the game, while LEBRON desires the limelight. Who's a better winner? There's no debate here.

"Energy is the essence of life... you decide how you're going to use it by knowing what you want and what it takes to reach that goal, and by maintaining focus" - Oprah Winfrey; The bundle of energy known as Derek Fisher, the most underrated Laker of all time, is just as responsible for the championships as Kobe and Shaq.

"A mind troubled by doubt cannot focus on the course to victory" - Arthur Golden; How is it that in the biggest game of the year, sharpshooter Rashard Lewis takes less shots the entire game than Derek Fisher, who is the Lakers' fourth scoring option?

"Nothing is stronger than habit" - Ovid; Note to Andrew Bynum: stop fouling, move your feet, and get in shape this summer.

"I can resist anything but temptation" - Oscar Wilde; I don't think Lamar Odom blows the ganja anymore, but when it comes to the candy it's a lose-lose situation.

"The first duty of a leader is to make himself be loved without courting love. To be loved without 'playing up' to anyone - even to himself" - Andre Malraux; The more we praise Lebron as "The King", the more he describes himself in the third person, the bigger his head gets, and the more he will fail to lead his team to the promised land.

        Trevor Ariza stares down KG during an '07 game 

 

 

 

Ariza strips the rock from former Celtic James Posey during the 2008 NBA Finals.

For those of you who watched the halftime special on Trevor Ariza during Game 3 of the NBA Finals, you'd realize why it is he plays with a sense of purpose every time he steps on the basketball court.

Just like Lamar Odom, he's been competing night in and night out with tragedy etched permanently in his subconscious. And like Odom, he's responded in these playoffs by proving to everyone why he is such an integral piece to this new Lakers Dynasty.

Largely unnoticed much like a stealth bomber, Ariza has slowly but surely secured his spot as the Lakers' starting small forward for years to come. And this was not by mistake folks. This was by design. This is the Lakers' way, and this is what separates the purple and gold from the rest of the pack.

The Lakers build dynasties, protect their assets, and keep their players happy. Other teams split up their rosters the moment adversity strikes (are you listening Phoenix fans?), while other teams fail to protect vital organs (James Posey - Boston Celtics). Wanna know why the Lakers never seriously pursued the free agent Posey last summer? I guess we now know the answer to that one.   

As tradition goes, Lakers management have always had an uncanny eye for spotting talent and then developing it. From Byron Scott, Kurt Rambis, A.C. Green, Eddie Jones, Nick Van Exel, Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, and now to Ariza, time and time again the Lakers continue to dumbfound competitors with their war room savvy and scouting expertise.

I can recall responding to numerous blog comments back in 2006 and 2007 when people once said that guys like Luke Walton, Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic, Andrew Bynum, Odom, and Ariza were better off playing in the NBDL. But this blog isn't about that so let me get back to the topic at hand. All I'm saying is "I told you so..."

Now back to Ariza...

The guy is a beast, if you know what I mean. He's a load defensively. He intercepts passing lanes like Coop and Pippen. His anticipation abilities are so great he should be playing cornerback in the NFL. He mans up just when you think his lanky build couldn't keep him from getting run over. Most of all, the guy isn't scared of anybody.

And I haven't even talked about his emerging offensive game. What he did in the third period of Game 4 is all the proof you need. Because if you've been watching Ariza all season long, you'd notice that he worked incessantly on his outside shot all summer and studied the intricacies of the triangle offense so religiously that he's perfected his role to the point that The Zenmaster hardly even talks about him. The Philosopher Jackson is speechless.

By practicing every day with the great Kobe Bryant, he's developed an intensity that's only getting stronger with each playoff series.

What makes the ultra-athletic Ariza such a great success story is that no one could have ever expected him to shine like this. He came into the league with such raw talent that many experts claimed he left college too early. What these experts failed to see was Ariza's character and motivation level. And the Lakers didn't miss any of this.

Maybe you don't remember, but as soon as the Lakers traded Mo Evans and Brian Cook for Ariza in 2007 it didn't take long for Trevor to make an immediate impact. After his second game with the Lakers, I remember telling a buddy of mine that his court instincts reminded me of Coop and if only he could improve his outside touch...

So look what we have now.

And if you blink, you might miss the development of the next vital piece to the Lakers' Dynasty - Shannon Brown.

The LAKERS ASSAULT CONTINUES...

 

A wise man once said, "It's okay to look at the menu as long as you eat at home."

So for those of you who love posting pics of booties and boobies galore, keep bringing 'em. Fox bloggers get to see so much eye candy around here that they'll actually begin thinking their lady is 18 again when it's time to hit the sack.

In other news, it looks like there are two elite teams in the No-Nonsense Ballerz Association and 28 teams in the NBA. Here's how I got 'em stacked so far...

1. Lakers - Why wasn't Mitch Kupchak trippin' on getting defensive specialist James Posey in the offseason? Two words: Trevor Ariza. He's happening so much that exactly zero people in Los Angeles remembers who Maurice Evans and Brian Cook are.

2. Celtics - If they still had Posey, maybe they wouldn't have lost to Indiana and be 9-0 instead. I'm callin' it right now. The Mean Green Machine will miss P.J. Brown even more come playoff time. 

3. Cleveland - King James and the Knights of the Brown Table are looking majestic right now, as Mo Williams happens while Ben Wallace happens to be all but retired.

4. Pistons - They're .500 with Allen Iverson. A sign of things to come for Detroit? We'll see how they fare tonight against the Young Guns of Figueroa.

5. Hawks - What's most impressive about their start is their 4-1 road record. Flip 'n' Mo making everyone in Atlanta forget about the dude from Mayfair High in Lakewood who went Euro on 'em.

6. Jazz - They're like the Tennesse Titans. Always strong in the regular season but when it's time to dance, not everyone shows up.

7. Trailblazers - Second-best current winning streak in the West, and they just got Lebron Sr. back. Rudy Fernandez is the frontrunner for Sixth Man Award. He's Ginobili without the wear and tear.

8. Rockets - I will keep saying this throughout the year: Their good but they have no backup for Yao. No backup for Yao... No backup for Yao.... Houston, it will be a problem.

9. Hornets - What's wrong with the Hornets? Peja Stojakovic. He's a major liability and he was the reason they lost to the Spurs in the playoffs last year and he's the reason they won't get by the Lakers. If you ask me, I'd rather have Julian Wright in the game.

10. Magic - If only Dwight Howard could develop post moves and hook shots. If only...

11. Suns - Nash is old. Hill is older. Shaq is Shaq. Barbosa and Bell aren't the same without The Matrix. And their coaching staff consists of three unproven leaders - Terry Porter, Bill Cartwright, and Dan Majerle. Yikes!! At least they still have Amare.

12. Pacers - Big win over the champs proved something to themselves. And now they're on a three-game win streak. Somewhere, Larry Legend is smiling.

13. Knicks - I never thought I'd have them ranked this high, but I guess this is what happens when you put an end to Starbury. Mike D'Antoni has got the team playing inspired ball. Let's see how long this offense-without-defense experiment lasts.

14. Raptors - They desperately need consistency from Anthony Parker and Jason Kapono in order to contend in the East, where two-guards and small forwards dominate. Otherwise they'll be first round feeders once again, and I could care less if they have C.B. and J.O.

 15. Nuggets - The addition of Chauncey Billups will help their balance, but sadly enough they're still the Nuggets. Which means first round and out.

16. Heat - Sometimes they look brilliant, sometimes they look like a college team. How much more of this can Dwyane Wade and his aching body handle?

17. Bulls - Derrick Rose, so far, is looking like the rookie of the year. Bulls (with all that talent), so far, are once again looking like disappointments of the year.

18. Bucks - They don't play any defense. In real life, bucks don't have much of a defense either against hunters and predators.

19. 76ers - With a new leader at power forward, the first month will be like training camp. Once the rest of the players get familiar with Elton Brand's tendencies, Philly will take off. I expect the Sixers to be one of the hotter teams after the All-Star break.

20. Kings - There is absolutely no reason for 80-year old Brad Miller to be on this team.

21. Spurs - They're really a top ten team, but when two of your top three players are out, well, you know the outcome. With the way things are going for the 4-time champs, Coach Pop might start sitting in at malls dressed up as Santa Claus come December.

22. Mavericks - Mark Cuban will not have this. I'm sure of it. For the very first time, he will be seriously entertaining trade offers for Dirk Nowitzki this season if the Mavs keep this up.

23. Grizzlies - Marc Gasol is looking to be the suprise rookie thus far. O.J. Mayo looks like a future star in this league. Rudy Gizzay is already a star. Mike Conley is promising. This looks like a college team.

24. Warriors - Hurry up Monta. They need ya. Corey Maggette is tired of jacking up shots.

25. Bobcats - There's only so much Brown can do for you.

26. Wizards - The sad thing about the Wizards is that even if Hibachi were in uniform, they'd wouldn't be much better than what we're seeing now. The reason they're 1-5 is because of the absence of Brendan Haywood.

27. Nets - Vince Carter slowly missing R.J. and J-Kidd after each mounting loss. Devin Harris says he doesn't really care, so he goes out and scores a career-high 38 without regard for Carter's touches.

28. Clippers - B-Diddy looks uninspired. Marcus Camby looks old. Chris Kaman looks nothing like himself. Cuttino Mobley looks the same. Coach Dunleavy looks lost. In other words, same old Clips.

29. Timberwolves - Not much to say here except for Mike Miller acquisition looking like it's not paying dividends.

30. Thunder - The only thing thunderous about Oklahoma City is its weather. Their season is FUBAR.

More stuff...

- Overhyped Italian Danilo Gallinari looks to me like he will be another European bust because he can't seem to stay healthy and strong enough to compete with NBA-level competition. He looked good in preseason but then again so did Slava Medvedenko...

- Why the Cavaliers will be elite: the core group has had valuable playoff experience, they've suffered growing pains and heartbreaking losses together as a unit, they're solid defensively, and now they're generating a ton of momentum and cohesion while Lebron James evolves into a more complete force...

- Why the Pistons won't be any better with Iverson: He holds on to the ball way too much, which will inevitably take away the impact of guys like Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton, players who move extremely well without the ball...

- Atlanta is one solid shot blocker away from really bothering the Celtics. They should find a way to bring back Dikembe Mutombo...

- Big-time trade proposal:  Dirk Nowitzki to Miami for Shawn Marion. Impact: Dallas gets to run-n-gun with Kidd, Matrix, and Howard while Miami gets the legitimate second scorer they need to complement D-Weezy.

- Is it just me or does anyone else here think Gilbert Arenas' glory days are all but over?...

- The most exciting divisional race in the West this year will be the one between Utah, Portland, and Denver...

- Now that everyone is witnessing the Lakers' dominance on a consistent basis, raise your hand if you believe the Lakers would have defeated the Celtics in the NBA Finals had Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza been 100% for the playoffs...

As always, the you-know-what continues.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1) Boston Celtics - Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen. 'Nuff said.

1A) L.A. Lakers - Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and the Bench Mob. The deepest team in the NBA, bar none.

3) New Orleans Hornets - Coach Byron Scott is absolutely on point when comparing James Posey to Michael Cooper instead of Robert Horry.

4) Houston Rockets - Will Tracy McGrady be okay with giving up shot opportunities to Ron Artest on occasion and averaging 18-20 points this season? Time will tell.

5) Detroit Pistons - You absolutely cannot disregard a team that still has Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, and Rasheed Wallace.

6) Utah Jazz - Once again, the same old tune being played at Salt Lake. I'm still waiting for scorer deluxe Morris Almond to get his chance.

7) Cleveland Cavaliers - Lebron is Lebron, which means the Cavs will always be contenders in the East no matter who you put around him.

8) Phoenix Suns - Big win on the road against the shorthanded Spurs and big loss at home against the powerhouse Hornets. Up-and-down games like these is a sign of things to come.

9) Toronto Raptors - Perhaps this year's version of last year's Hornets.

10) Dallas Mavericks - A full season with Jason Kidd running the show should benefit Dirk Nowitzki and crew. But in the powerful Western Conference, the Mavs are merely pretenders not contenders.

11) Philadelphia 76ers - It will take time to develop chemistry with new frontman Elton Brand but once they do, look out. 

12) San Antonio Spurs - Never would have thought they'd drop this far but when Manu Ginobili is missing, so are the Spurs.

13) Atlanta Hawks - A full season with Mike Bibby will help. Josh Smith is emerging into an All-Star. Joe Johnson is Joe Johnson. The addition of Flip Murray and Mo Evans should more than compensate for the loss of Josh Childress. And they just defeated Orlando by 14. So far things are looking good.

14) Portland Trailblazers - The Blazermaniacs are already saying, "Wait 'til Greg Oden comes back."

15) Orlando Magic - They're off to a disappointing 0-2 start, mainly because Dwight Howard has not lived up to expectations, failing to work on his footwork and lowpost game.

16) Miami Heat - They have been considered by many as a sleeper pick for 2008-'09. It will take time to generate cohesion with new players and a new coach but with Dwyane Wade and Shawn Marion at full strength, you can't count them out.

17) Denver Nuggets - Carmelo Anthony will be back soon. But will that be enough, especially without Marcus Camby to help out on the defensive weak side? And how much more mediocrity can Allen Iverson take before he begins complaining about practice?

18) New Jersey Nets - Now that Vince Carter has the team all to himself, let's see how he takes advantage.

19) Minnesota Timberwolves - They can be a sleeper in the West to grab that coveted eighth seed to face the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs. Let's see how much Love they get.

20) Milwaukee Bucks - Now that they have Richard Jefferson there to complement Michael Redd, the only other question left unanswered is whether or not the rest of the team can play any defense.

21) Chicago Bulls - They continue to be a work in progress with no legitimate center in the lineup. Derrick Rose looks good, but how much longer before Ben Gordon and/or Kirk Hinrich act up?

22) Washington Wizards - The loss of Brendan Haywood is huge, considering he had a breakout year last season.

23) New York Knicks - The only thing interesting in Gotham right now is trying to figure out when Stephon Marbury will be dealt.

24) L.A. Clippers - Coach Mike Dunleavy looks like he's 80 years old with all those wrinkles on his forehead. They're already 0-2 at home and the coach has barely used highly touted Eric Gordon and DeAndre Jordan. That's why he's Dunleavy. I am feeling so bad for Baron Davis right now.

25) Golden State Warriors - Once Monte Ellis returns, they will move up six spots in the rankings. For now, Corey "shoot first, pass second" Maggette is having the time of his life.

26) Indiana Pacers - Larry Bird must be having daily migraines right about now. He doesn't know what to do with Jamaal Tinsley. Mike Dunleavy is out. He has no center. And the impressive Danny Granger will probably jump ship once his contract is up.

27) Memphis Grizzlies - Marc Gasol looks like he's ahead of schedule. So does O.J. Mayo. And so does Rudy G-@-y, who should be an All-Star this year.

28) Sacramento Kings - There really isn't much to say about the Kings, especially when you have a bunch of young players and senior citizen Brad Miller on the team.

29) Charlotte Bobcats - C'mon Michael, I know you want to come back.