Get me a break! Horry's totally LEGAL pick/screen on West is a cheap shot? You gotta be kidding me! Has the NBA become the WNBA? I apologize to the ladies of the WNBA (you gals ain't that SOFT). Does Emperor Stern's PC "dress code" mean a player needs to wear a pretty "dress"?

I can't believe it! I think if Horry gets suspended, fined, or even officially criticized by the league, then I will forever ever not watch the NBA. The soft fans probably think the NBA stands for...

National "B*tches" Association
National "Butterfly" Association
National "Buttercup" Association
"Neutered" Basketball Association

My friends, what Horry did was totally legit! He set a legal back screen on an opposing defender. That's basketball! So what if West had a tender back and Horry knew about it? If West was afraid to get hurt, stay home! It's like if Kirilenko injures Kobe's broken pinky on a block and gets called dirty or cheapshot. It's ridiculous!

The other hilarious argument is that people say that Horry did it "on purpose" or he "wanted" to hurt West. C'mon, you retards live inside Horry's mind? You guys know exactly what and how he thinks? And let's say that you are right about Horry's dirty intention, so what? He made a LEGAL play! It wasn't even a foul! Get over it!

Maybe you "cotton" lovers want the NBA to install a new rule.....red jackets for players with injuries. So Kobe should wear one tonight, and if any Jazz player seems or appears to be hurting Kobe on purpose (however legal their plays may be), they get rejected.

Welcome to the new NBA, where TOFU happens!

The more I think about the whole situation, the angrier I become. How come my beloved NBA is becoming so soft? Well, I can't explain the overall "baby-skin" trend. But my explanation for this particular incident is that the biased media just loves Steve Nash too much. I know I know, what does this have anything to do with Nash? But hear me out!

The Nash-loving media just can't get over the whole Horry-WWF-Nash incident last year. They just can't get over the fact that Horry fouling Nash, which led to the infamous suspensions, caused their golden boy his best chance at winning a ring or at least play in a Finals (so that their biased decision to give him two MVPs would actually become legit). Never mind Horry probably didn't think his hard foul would trigger Amare and Diaw to leave their bench retardedly (Horry couldn't be that smart and calculating). Never mind his so-called hard foul wan't even that hard! For God's sake, Nash didn't even get a scratch on him.

You see, my friends, the biased media loves to rewrite history. They know 20 years from now, when people look at this post-Jordan era (1998-2010), everyone will freak out over these stats....

Shaq....4 rings....1 MVP
Kobe....3 rings....1 MVP
Duncan....4 rings....2 MVPs
Nash....ZERO mins in a Finals....2 MVPs

They know with Mike "B*tch-face" D'Antoni in NY, Nash's championship window is pretty much closed. So they come up with plan B....

When some curious kid in the future asks...

"How come Shaq with 4 rings and being the most dominating player of his time, only got 1 MVP, while this small dude named Nash won 2 MVPs, without ever getting to at least the Finals, and despite playing with so many all-star teammates? Look, Dirk Nowitzky went to a Finals once, so did Kidd twice."

The biased media (looks all embarrassed) can then say...

"Well, my son, that's because Nash would have been won a ring in 2007 had it not been that cheap-shot Robert Horry."

The curious kid....

"Horry? You mean that guy with 7 rings and so many clutch shots? Why do you call him cheap shot?"

The biased media....

"Yes cheap shot. You want more evidence? He also cheap-shot David West the following season."

The kid (knowing it's just a lame excuse)....

"So it's all Horry's fault?".

The media (feeling so happy that West's injury provides a perfect coverup)....

"Absolutely."

So there you go....Horry's latest heroics is only a cheapshot if you want to excuse Nash from failing to advance to the Finals.

For this past regular season, many fans and experts, including myself, have dogged Nash and his supporters for even thinking about giving Nash a 3rd MVP, in row.

Collectively, our reasoning is simple. Only superstar legends have 3 or more MVPs. Each of them defines basketball and all of them have won multiple championships and established dynasties.

Nash, on the other hand, despite of having career-redefining season after season, has not even taken a single dribble in a Finals.

One popular counter argument often used by his supporters is that MVP season is for the regular season only, and Nash's common failure in the playoff shouldn't limit him from the MVP. That is a fair argument on paper, but in reality, that's total ####.

The career of a NBA player is defined by championships and individual honors. The fact that a player can play so well in the regular seasons but fails repeatedly in the playoff is sad and unjust. You can argue all you want, but the fact still remains 3 MVPs and 0 secs in the Finals.

However, having said that, I now want to reverse my position and give the award to Steve Nash.

My reason is simple. I don't want David Stern handing that MVP trophy to a player on his early summer fishing trip.

Yes, I am talking about Dirk Nowitzky, the sharp-shooting leader of a 67-win team.

Can you even imagine if the Warriors beat the Mavs tonight or in game 6, and then in a few days when Dirk wins the MVP?

Can you imagine that awkard press conference?

******************************
Reporter: Dirk, how does it feel to be the first Mavs and first German to win the MVP?

Dirk: Well, it's nice! It's a huge honor. It means a lot to me and my teammates. I want to thank my teammates and coach. We had a fabulous season.

Reporter: So by saying that you had a fabulous season, you meant that you had a fabulous REGULAR season. Because we all know what happened when you met Baron Davis and the Warriors in the playoff.

Dirk: ..................well............

Reporter: And are you sure you really want to thank your teammates and coach? After they totally choked and offered no plan what so ever defending against Baron Davis.

Dirk: ..................arrgh...........

Reporter: Finally, can you really be that proud of yourself? Afterall, you are wearing your fishing gears, and it's only May.

Dirk: ....Hey......that's enough! If my boy Steve can win 2 MVPs without at least having the opportunity to choke against Shaq and Wade in the Finals last year, then I say I deserve this trophy, because...........

Reporter: Because of what?

Dirk: ...........Because MVP is for the regular season.........and God damn it........we won 67 games!

Reporter: But you lost to a 8th seed in the 1st round.

Dirk: .............arghhh!

*********************************
Let's just hope for the sake of basketball that either the Mavs start playing like a 67-win team or that Steve Nash wins his 3rd.

I just saw the great game between the Suns and the Mavs.  What a game!  If anyone thinks it was just another regular-season game, he must be on drugs.  Both teams played extremely hard and really wanted to win.  Anyway, congratulations to the Suns.  They played very well and made a few key defensive stops in the 4th and two overtimes, including a big play in the end by Steve Nash.  Anyway, here are some of my unbiased observations:

1.  Steve Nash is the MVP.  He proved in this game that he is the better player and he does more for his team than Dirk does for his.  He made several big defensive plays and even got 8 rebounds.  Without his key 3pt at the end of regulation, the Suns would have easily lost again to their top rival.  I now think he should win that 3rd straight MVP, but I hope if he does, he better go all the way to the championship, or else he will go down as the greatest player never to play in a FINALs, not something he wants to be remembered for.

2.  Dirk is the type of player that tends to let the pressure of failing get to him at the most crucial moment.  In other words, he is the opposite of Robert Horry.  Missing that crucial FT, when he is a 91% FT shooter, just shows he can't be always be trusted.  MJ would have made those FT, Kobe would have made them, and even Shaq would have made them.  But let's not be too hard on the guy.  He had a great game, and boy can he shoot!  He has the sweetest stroke of them all!

3.  Amare Stoudamire had a huge game!  But I think his fans shouldn't be too happy.  He is clearly not the same athlete he was before the knee injury.  If you don't believe me, just take a look at Dampier's 11 offensive rebounds.  Amare simply can't jump as high as he used to and as a result, Dampier kept out-rebounding him from behind.  However, I do think overall Amare is now a better basketball player.  But he does need to develop a low post game.  He has 1 move in the post, and basically gets most of his points because of Nash's great passes.

4.  Finally, unrelated to this game, I just think the suspension on Kobe is just total ####.  I saw at least 4 elbows thrown during this game.  2 by Stoudamire, 1 by Dampier, and 1 by Raja Bell.  3 of the 4 touched the defender's face, and 1 barely missed only because the defender was quick enough to get his head out of the way.  But I bet no suspension and no fine will be issued.  In fact, if you missed the game and didn't read this blog, you probably wouldn't even know about them.  It just shows how pathetic and "targeted" Kobe's suspensions were.   

Well, this is the moment that we (Suns fans and Suns haters) all have been waiting for. The top two teams in the NBA going head-to-head without any significant injuries. For the Mavs, it's their chance to cement themselves as the favor to win the title. For the Suns, it's their chance to shut up critics like me and prove they are ready to finally give the 2-time MVP Steve Nash a long awaited trip to the FINALs.

On an individual level, it's the battle for MVP between two best friends. Most writers now favor Dirk Nowitzky over Nash, because Dallas has a better record and nobody wants to give Nash a 3rd straight MVP since others (MJ, Magic, Larry, Wilt, Moses, Russel, and Kareem) have won 34 champioships combined and Nash hasn't even taken a dribble in a FINALs. However, if Nash and the Suns totally take it to the Mavs in Dallas with Dirk having a bad game, I am sure the bias in many writers' mind will re-surface and start swinging the tide over to Nash.

Anyway, it's going to be a blast and a good indication of where the two teams stand as of now!

As for the other major news, Phil Jackson has proclaimed there is a "witch hunt" going on against Kobe Bryant. I guess in the Zen master's mind, the NBA would be stupid enough to go after its best player, the biggest attraction, the guy who sells out every game and has the top-selling jersey and the #2 shoe endorsement. Yeah, Phil, your "witch hunt" theory is as plausible as "the right-wing conspiracy" brought up by Slick Willy recently.

The bottomline is this, Kobe wanted to at least draw a foul on a last-second shot against the T-Wolves, so as a result he swung his arm sideway on a follow-through, hoping to make contact. Unfortunately with his high vertical, swinging his arm sideway during a jumpshot means an automatic elbow to an aggressive defender's head. Kobe knew it wasn't the best or the cleaniest thing to do, but since there was no specific rule in the offical rule book prohibiting such a act, Kobe decided to test the water, again.

But unfortunately for him, Jaric, being a soft European white guy, couldn't take the hit and collapsed like a little girl. The NBA then feared if they didn't do anything against Kobe, its hip-hop gangster image would worsen in the minds of middle Americans, so Stu Jackson (who got the job probably only because David Stern wanted a black man in charge of handing out suspensions to the mostly black players) decided to give Kobe an one-game suspension as a symbolic punishment.

So there is no witch hunt. Kobe is not a dirty player, instead he was just taking advantage of the rule book and the stupid blind referees. And the NBA just wanted to protect its image. Like the dress code, the NBA didn't want the average middle Americans think they are letting a #### getting away with cheap shots.

There you go!

A recent hot debate here is the question of who is the MVP. It's actually stupid to ask because we are only half-way through the season, but the three top candidates are nonetheless Nash, Kobe, and Dirk, with the majority of people favoring one of the first two.

I am not here to debate people about who should be the MVP. I don't want to hear about stats or reasons like "Nash makes his teammates better", "Dirk is the best player on the best team", or "Kobe is carrying the Lakers on his back without Lamar".

The main point of this blog is not to debate the question, but to point out a key fact for all Suns-Nash lovers:

Do you really want Steve Nash to win a 3rd straight MVP? Do you even know what does that mean for Nash and his legacy? Have you thought about the phrase, "be careful of what you wish for"?

If Nash wins a 3rd MVP, he will join the ranks of Wilt, Kareem, Russell, Magic, Larry, Oscar, and MJ. Those names are the NBA! They are the legends that will live forever in the hearts of all basketball fans around the world. Does Nash really belong in that group?

It's like your fat ugly sister walking the runways during the Victoria's Secrets fashion show. For the sake of her face and dignity, you should never allow that to happen.

More importantly, what if Nash (at age 33) doesn't go on to win a championship or even play in the Finals this year and the next two years? That is very possible, considering the West is full contenders like the Mavs (deeper, younger, and more talented), Spurs (more experienced and way better defense), and Lakers (so much younger and much better coached).

What about the Jazz and Rockets? What about the Heat, Cavs, Magic, and Pistons? There are too many good teams out there!

Do you really want Nash's legacy to become a 3-time MVP who's never played in the Finals?

Remember how sad it was for Barkely in 93 or Malone in 97 (winning the MVP but not the championship)? But at least they had a great excuse called "losing in the Finals to MJ".

I know you will say that the MVP is a regular-season award. That's true, but the winner has always been expected to justify his award by delivering in the playoff. He needs to show the whole world that his game is not just made for the regular season, it's made for the games that actually count!

In a perfect world, Nash wins a 3rd MVP, and the Suns win the championship this and next year. Steve then retires as the best point guard since Magic. But we don't live a perfect world.

In this realistic world, Nash can win a 3rd MVP, but the Suns can lose to the Mavs in the West final. And when that happens, Steve Nash will go down as the biggest "playoff choker" in the history of the game. And that, my friends (Suns fans), is not something you want for the great Steve Nash, who I really like and cheer for.

Lastly, I will leave you with this thought: A Steve Nash with 2 MVPs and 0 ring is better than a Steve Nash with 3 and 0.

Think about it!

The hottest team right now in the NBA is the Phoneix Suns.  They have won 11 straight, and Amare is getting back to full strength.  They are now 1 of the 5 favorites to win it all this year, and in the eyes of the biased media, they are the favorite.

But are they for real?  I hate to be the spoiler, but let's dissect their record so far.

Of their 14 wins, only 4 came against winning teams: Rockets, Magic, Clippers, and Hornets (with the Clippers and Hornets both being 10-10).

And all of their 6 losses also came against winning teams: Lakers, Jazz (twice), Spurs, Mavs, and Clippers.

So basically, they have struggled against the top teams, while beating the #### out of the bad ones.

I've always been a fan of Steve Nash, and he is just having another MVP season.  But hopefully, he won't win it again this year, because 3-time (3 straight) MVP status is reserved only for the legends (MJ, Bird, etc), and Nash has never even made it to the finals.

Even with Amare's re-emergence, I highly doubt that the Suns, with their lack of defense, can ever win a championship.

The problem with their defense is not a lack of good defensive players (although Nash absolutely plays no D at all, he is like a QB in basketball, plays only half of the game).  The problem is their attitude and system.

They have a coach who after a 161-157 win said "That's the best game we've played so far".  You gave up 157 pts and that's the best game?

Anyway, the season is still young, and perhaps the Suns will eventually figure out that they need to defend to win the title.