In one of the most unprecedented moves in professional basketball history the best player in the NBA, Kobe Bryant, has demanded and received a trade for the best rookie and arguably the best player in the WNBA, Candace Parker. It has yet to be formally announced but word from NBA and WNBA officials state that starting next year the WNBA Los Angeles Sparks will receive Lamar Odom and 4 consecutive 1st round draft picks (2009-'12) from the NBA Los Angeles Lakers and in return Candace Parker will immediately start next to Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum at the Small Forward position. The reasoning for this trade was explained with grace and grandeur by general manager Mitch 'cupcake' Kupchak: "after watching Lamar Odom 'soft-feminine' like play over the years we figured why don't we go ahead and trade for a real girl to play the position, not to mention Candace doesn't even have to change locker rooms"

Most NBA analyst agree Candace Parker will be an immediate upgrade at the position and she will come at a much cheaper price. Although Candace has yet to complete her first season in the WNBA she is already regarded as the best player in the WNBA and barring any injury would soon be considered the best to ever play the game, making Cheryl Miller's (considered by most the best to ever play at any level of womens basketball) accomplishments look slightly above average

Kobe Bryant was quoted recently as saying "I'm esctatic that Candace will be playing with us next year, hopefully we can beat the Celtics and bring a championship back to L.A. this year and then start our repeat with Parker next season, it'll be great to finally have a compliment player who has the heart and desire to be the #2 scorer and on some nights when I'm not clicking be the #1 scorer". I heard from one Laker insider, who chooses to stay anomynous, that Lamar Odom is happy to be going to the Sparks because he really really likes their uniforms. On the other hand Lisa Leslie was quoted as saying, upon hearing of the potential trade, "Who is Lamar Odom?"

I had a chance to interview some L.A. fans, before the trade was officially announced, and after the shock and awe had subsided they realized that it would be best for the team even though they had to give up Odom and 4 first round draft picks. Charlie from Orange County said "I didn't know a professional womens basketball league existed but after going to YouTube and watching highlights of Candace I'm totally down with the trade, Lamar plays scared, disappears for half the game and never wants to shoot the ball when he does get it, so why not get a girl to take his place...plus she's hot looking too" 

So there you have it, the inside scoop on a trade that may not make the headlines until the NBA Finals dust has settled. And for all you Laker and NBA hardcore fanz that don't know much about womens hoop take it from me Candace Parker is the real deal.  I've been following womens college and professional hoop for 10 years and despite the harsh criticism from most radio and tv journalist it's a great sport with great fundamental skills on display every night. David Stern should consider himself lucky that he's gotten a player like Candace who at the level she's playing now is better than half the men on the entire NBA roster....and she's only getting better!!!

It's no coincidence that Kobe Bryant received the MVP honor during a year he put together his most complete all-around season ever. He definitely deserved it for how he played this year and if your a 'Laker Apologist', like I know many of you are, then u can say that his receiving the award makes up for the many he should of had during past seasons (I don't agree with the latter)

The shame comes in the fact it took him 12 NBA seasons to do it when in fact it should of only took him 4 to 5 years to get his first most valuable player award if not earlier. But once Kobe decided to skip college and go straight into the NBA he instantly retarded his maturity process (on and off the court) therefore u had a player go through a lengthy growing pain process in the Pros that was not only painful for Bryant but for his fans and coaches alike. This year Kobe finally put all the pieces together when it comes to playing team ball, and Yes the Pau Gasol trade was important and it that definitely helped turn the team around, but ultimately it still came down to Kobe leading this team with care while believing and trusting his teammates. That's why there on an incredible playoff winning streak now and have a bright future in front of them

There's a good chance this will be Kobe's first and last MVP seasonal award, with the likes of Chris Paul and Lebron James breathing down his neck as the best all around player in the league. But when its all said and done if Kobe can raise a few more championship banners those MVP's won't mean all that much but I can't help but wonder what could of been if an already super-talented High School senior from Philadelphia would of taken that Duke scholarship and played 2 years under Coach K; at this point and time in Kobe's career Michael Jordan comparisons would of been valid without an inch of doubt because Jordan would of have personally passed the torch to Kobe Bryant instead of passing it to the league in general 

Whatever happens in todays Game 7 between the Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics will ultimately be effective for one team and one team only: the ATLANTA HAWKS. The team, organization and city has been officially revitalized during this unexpected and surprising first round series against the overall #1 seeded Boston Celtics

After last years NBA draft the whole NBA world was upended when Boston pulled off one of the great transactions in professional basketball history by acquiring Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to join Paul Pierce and become the self titled trio The Boston Three Party. Everybody penciled these guys into the NBA Finals and for all intent and purposes receiving the teams 17th NBA Championship and this was before the '07-'08 season had begun. Every person I talked to had the same opinion, "Boston is the team to beat in the entire NBA" but I felt differently and today as I type this blog, while also listening to Game 7 on the radio, my feelings and predictions of apprehension back then have come to fruition in this series; although I have to admit I didn't think it would come this early in the playoff season

I basically felt like neither one of the Boston 3 had demonstrated any playoff fortitude or big game composure individually to rightfully predict that they could come together as a group and 'win it all'. Yes, each player is arguably one of the best at their postion during this current generation of NBA Players. Yes, they each have won big regular season games at different moments for their respective teams in the past and they've been crowned franchise type players upon being drafted into the league. But with all of that being said, the Big 3 still lack the 'Killer Instinct' it takes to win 'Big' in the playoffs. And these 3 are seasoned NBA veterans not early 20-something players

I never bought into the hype and finally the reasonings behind it are in front of every NBA fan, High Def style! Kevin Garnett might be called the Big Ticket, but ask him to cash that ticket at the end of important games and he won't do it. He's been so unselfish thru the years that it has made him a player who's now scared to take the 'big' shots. In this series KG has put up decent numbers and has pounded his chest quite a bit on defense but he's yet to take advantage offensively against a Hawks team that has no equal in the low-post to his talent.  A little of the same can be said for Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, each are great streaky jump shooters with little to zero of a defensive presence; but there not on the court to play great defense, there around to put the ball in the hoop but during these playoffs neither one has been scoring consistent enough to eliminate a young-inexperienced-shaky Atlanta Hawk team. Pierece is cocky and has never been as good as he thinks he is and Ray is a good person and teammate but he's always been a one-dimensional player--a jump shooter who has never been comfortable with creating his own shot. It all comes down to this, Boston should have ended this series in 4 games, a 1 seed against an 8 seed, and been well rested for the 2nd round. But now there going to enter the 2nd round tired and mentally wary; with Lebron James and the Cavaliers waiting to apply more pressure to the Big 3 

It looks like the Celtics are going to avoid the biggest upset in NBA Playoff history (there crushing the Hawks by 34 towards the end of the 3rd qtr.) and avoid joining their cross town peers, New England Patriots, as the biggest 'choke jobs' in professional sports history. But there not out of the woods yet, anything short of the NBA title will be a disaster in the eyes of Bostonians and once again they'll have to travel over to Fenway Park to see how a real Championshipteam closes the deal. 

Atanta Hawks have nothing to hang there head about, there playing with House Money right now, nobody expected this group to be playing a game 7, they've exceeded expectation and in doing so have jump-started a franchise that was boring and lifeless for the last 15 years. Expect to see the Atlanta Hawks making a lot of 'noise' in the Eastern Conference for the forseeable future and in 5 years time they'll be able to look back on the 2008 playoffs and thank the Championship-less Boston 3 for indirectly re-starting the ascension of their Franchise

Game 4 is over and the Nuggets just got swept by the Lakers and everybody on that team, including coaching staff, should be fired and replaced…for various reasons...but mainly for this: selfishness; arrogance; individualism; cry-babying and the overall ability to look like a high school J.V. team when it comes to playing defense

George Karl should be fired because the team is no longer listening or responding to his aloof style of coaching; Carmelo Anthony should no longer be considered a Star or Young Super Star on the 'come up' in this league....He's one dimensional, lazy and a '*hit-talker', I now consider 'Melo just a regular NBA Player that's getting way too much $; Allen Iverson should be allowed to play out the rest of his contract and then 'walk' in free agency....His style of play doesn't fit and his attitude is crappy. The only player that might can be spared on that team is Marcus Camby, he plays hard most of the time and he's essentially a 'one-man band' on the court, his teammates can't and won't help because they have no discipline.

I'll give much credit to the Lakers because they played well and they deserve the win but most of the blame goes to the Denver Nugget Players and that horrible coaching staff. David Stern should disband that team (along with a few other select NBA Franchises) and let it be known, they won't be allowed back into the league until they display professionalism on and off the court

Nobody on this planet is given the Denver Nuggets a prayers chance in this first round series against the Lakers. That's why I believe they have every bit of an opportunity to stretch this series to 6 or 7 games and run off with a series win

There's no pressure on Denver at all, there suppose to get  crushed by the more superior Laker Team (I"m not sure how that analysis is possible, the only players on the Lakers team who has experience of being clutch in the playoffs is Kobe and Fisher and the rest of the crew is either inexperienced or have shown no ability to hold gut-check composure in a playoff atmosphere), so the Nuggets will be playing care-free, u best believe that!

We all know the Nuggets have zero team discipline and no-championship type defense to speak of but they can Score with the best, so I'm expecting a 100 plus point a night output from them, lets see if the Lakers can keep up and play like a #1 overall seed!!!

Wow, what a difference 8 months makes for a star athlete like Mr. Kobe 'Bean' Bryant. He's enjoying another All-Star season, a potential MVP of the league season, his team is arguably the best the NBA has to offer-as I write-and most importantly Kobe seems to be smiling and having fun while playing the game he grew up loving. That's great to see but it's a stark contrast to what Kobe was feeling and saying during the summer of '07, when he was crying and ####ing about 'not wanting to be a Laker'

Nobody wants to hold Kobe accountable but I will

If Kobe would of just shut his mouth, kept things internal and played out the string of his contract then at least he would of shown more maturity and team leadership as oppose to going on every radio station in America crying the 'blues' about being misled and lied to by Laker mgt. I'm sure there was truth to some of what Kobe was saying but in my opinion if u feel as though your team is not following through on their promises then exercise the 'opt-out' clause that all Stars have specifically written into your contract (Players like Tim Duncan, with D. Wade and L. James next in line, have used that leverage wisely by letting his team know that 'yes' I'll sign a Max deal but I'm going to put my opt out at 3 or 4 years just in case u decide to NOT give me help in trying to win a championship )

Kobe will have the option to be a free agent after the '08-'09 season where he would be free to sign with any other team willing to pay him big bucks (and lets be honest there would of been plenty of teams reaching for her services) so last summer, during the heat of his frustration, all he had to do was keep cool, do what he's been doing, play out the last 2 years then opt out at the age of 31 and be done with the Laker organization. And you know who would of looked like the fools in the whole ordeal, the Lakers, not Kobe. But instead Kobe at this point and time is playing the 'Fair-Whether' player; happy and gleeful because the Lakers are winning but with that he's already proven he can pout, moan and refuse to shoot the ball for an entire 2nd half with the best of 'em when the team isn't doing what he thinks it should be doing

Super-star players are built with the strong mindset that they know they can endure the bad and good of an organization with extreme poise. Decision making is high on their list, that's what made Magic, Jordan, Russell and Bird great...On and Off the court. Fans are ready to anoint Kobe in that category but I'm not sure he should be, he hasn't earned it

p.s.

I really hope Kobe Bryant gets his much deserved MVP trophy this year because starting next year ('08-'09 season) Mr. Lebron 'King' James is going to start a string of MVP seasons that might not ever be matched (can u say 4 or 5 in a row). Lebron, is starting to show the skilled dominance that I predicted he would have once he mastered the superior focus on the defensive and offensive ends of the court. I'm not sure how many championship rings he's going to win but I know barring any major injury, starting next year Lebron will clearly be the best the NBA has to offer in terms of individual effort