Friday, April 28, 2006, 12:00 PM EST
[NBA Playoffs]
Forget the first two losses in Miami. Forget the game 3 blowout win in front of the eyes of the guy with the statue out front. Forget this season all together and you still have a whole future of promise in Chi-town. And I'm not just talking next season, but for years to come.
Since the arrival of John Paxson, the Chicago Bulls organization has seen bright spot after bright spot bless the halls that Jordan built.
We've seen the maturation of three young perimeter players drafted out of college (what?!...out of college!!!??) turn into a very deadly backcourt.
Kirk Hinrich is the precise passing point guard, credited by many experts as one of the best at the pick and roll. He has matured into a leader that knows his roll and knows how to make his team better.
Ben Gordon is the lights out assassin. Capable of hitting any shot from anywhere, at any time. His scoring flurries and speed make him a danger to any defender, and few are capable at stopping his shot.
Luol Deng is becoming the workman's worker. He can score, he can scrap, and he can defend.
Now you must also consider the fan favorite Andres Nocioni. An Olympic gold medalist and the dirty dog of the bunch. He's the guy that frustrates the opposing team's best scorer. The second coming of Bruce Bowen. With an even better shot and tenacious demeanor. He is Chicago's energy; he is heart and soul of this young squad. And the Chicago fans have fallen in love with this guy.
Throw in the ever lowered scowl of Coach Scott Skiles. He preaches defense 24/7. He preaches toughness 24/7. He takes no guff, and he tolerates zero whining. This is a man that challenged Shaq to a fist fight when both played for Orlando. Now how many players in the NBA can put that on their resume?
Before the season started, I concluded that when John Paxson moved Eddy Curry to the New York Knicks, that it was a mistake. The only thing the Bulls got in return was the shadow of Tim Thomas (now in PHX), Mike Sweetney's ever growing buddha belly and New York's first round draft pick. But like many, I figured that New York would at least not be the crappiest team in the league. Not with all of that talent and a championship coach. I've never been so happy to put my foot in my mouth. Enter this year's draft and you will see John Paxson smiling at a potential number 1 pick. And I'll make sure I get him to pick me some numbers for the Illinois State Lottery as well.
Because of the Eddy Curry trade, my man Pax is also sitting on tons of cap room to sign a very serviceable free agent or two during the off-season. One big move or a couple of well placed smaller moves, and you can consider the Bulls a championship contender in the year(s) ahead.
And all the while, Michael Jordan is looking on from his skybox cheering the home team. This young Bulls squad got it together by the end of the season and made the playoffs when most had left this team with not much size to be lottery fodder. They held today's most dominant center to 8 points in a playoff game. And that was the worst game that Shaquille has ever played in the playoffs. They also lead Miami's legendary coach to declare that his team straight up got their asses kicked in game 3, which by the way, was hilarious.
And yes, in the windy city.....the best is yet to come.
I gave this post that subject name just to see if you'd read this. If someone else has written about this, well, kudos to you on keeping up with some of the positive things athletes do for the community.
Kevin Garnett has just been named this year's winner of the NBA's J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. This award is given to the person that has put forth the extra effort to do something positive for the community. And congrats to Kevin for being so deserving of this award.
After Hurricane Katrina, a whole slew of NBA players decided to help in any way that they could. Garnett took an extra step. He donated over 1 million dollars to Oprah's Angel Network and built 24 homes for Katrina survivors. That's one house per month for the next two years. I remember him talking about this during Kenny Smith's NBA Players Hurricane Relief Game in Houston (in which he also participated), he described how helpless he felt. He wanted to do more than just donate money. He wanted to know that the money he was giving was going towards something that he knew would be worthwhile. So he took the extra steps and contacted Oprah's Angel network directly. 1.2 million dollars later, 24 families had a home to live in after being so devastated by Katrina.
Aside from this, and this is even cooler. KG also started a foundation of his own called 4XL. I looked into the 4XL website and got some information on this program, and I'm impressed. 4XL stands for "For Excellence and Leadership". Here's the excerpt of the mission statement straight from the website:
As I peer into many of my fellow bloggers respective blogs, I notice a peculiar thing about most but not all....are we so entrenched into our own hometown love that it clouds our actual view? Is someone that talks only about the town that they claim as home an actual sports fan? Of course we see this bias in our great sports writers today...I enjoy Mark Stein's basketball articles...but then he gets on these rants about his beloved Cal team...and Bill Simmons....will he ever run out of things to say about Boston? The list goes on and on and you can also see where the "hometown love" creates a vacuum of more biased than actual unbiased journalism.
I will tell you the truth, the second I read a blog about one certain team, I immediately check to see where the writer is coming from. I see at times that the "hometown love" takes over and the writer is more entrenched in writing on feeling that actual fact. That's when I stop reading. Because, if I wanted biased journalism, I'd listen to Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, and Ann Coulter more.
It's unavoidable, especially when a big city reporter or announcer talks more about their respective teams than most. That's the way it should be. What I can't stand though, is, say, when I'm watching an NBA game on a Foxsports channel from that respective city, and the color commentators are clearly showing more love to the Hometown team. I don't care how much love you feel for the Hometown team...but, during a game, and a ref makes a bad call, it's a bad call...plain and simple...for either team...not just for your beloved Hometown squad. It takes me back to the days when I watched Pro wrestling...and the "bad guy" color commentator always showed more love for the antagonist, and the "good guy" color commentator cheered on the protagonist. Totally biased...no true facts...just favoritism.
I love NBA basketball...all of NBA basketball...of course my heart belongs to the Chicago Bulls (thanks MJ). It's the city I'm closest to, even though I live in Michigan...(I'm in the southwest, so Chitown is 1 hour closer than Detroit)...but when I try to write these articles, I try to span the many aspects of NBA basketball. I once wrote an article about the Detroit Pistons, and immediately started getting trash from many different bloggers....all of whom were admitted Detroit fans, living in or around Detroit...the only ones that saw my point, were the ones not from Detroit or Michigan.
Being from Michigan, I was chastised by many people, friends and family, for saying that the Spurs were taking the title last season. So I was labeled the enemy. All I did was look at both teams, took an unbiased approach, and predicted that the Spurs would win. Many figured that since I am from Michigan, that I SHOULD be rooting for the Pistons. I think that's just hogwash if you are a true sports fan.
I'm a gambling man as well. And anyone who has lost money gambling on a team knows that when you place that bet, you must decide if you are betting with your heart or your head. If you're betting with heart, you're not actually gambling, your picking a favorite and HOPING that they win. A true gambler has no favorites...a true gambler looks at the stats, looks at the trends, and makes an unbiased guess. Most sports analysts have to go about it this way for the sake of keeping their job. And the same goes for nationwide sports writers as well.
So when your writing your umpteenth blog about your favorite team, remember that with this internet comes a broader audience. A worldwide audience that doesn't care about where you come from. It's great to love the "Hometown team". But to call yourself a Sports fan...means that you should love the sport....not just the particular team that is playing that sport.
I don't know how you did it, Kobe, but you did. You've changed my attitude about you. Last year, you were the anti-christ on my most hated team. A shoot first, little baby; that thought you were the second coming of Michael Jordan. You destroyed what was a great team...sending off the most dominant center in NBA history not named Wilt or Bill. You chased away the greatest coach in the game not named Red and even made him take shots at you in a tell all book. I was so happy to see you miss the playoffs.
And so you start off this season. Shooting like there was no tomorrow. I thought the playoffs were a distant dream then. Then, I'd say, right after you and Shaq made up for the first time, I started to see you in another light. I knew you were changing by then....just take a look at my fantasy squads (you were my first or second choice)....something told me that the Zenmaster was gonna change you.
And then it happened. I couldn't believe it when it happened......but I started to cheer for your team...let me remind you who you play for...the Lakers....the evil empire of the NBA....I grew up hating this team....the battles with Boston....the battles with the Bad Boys...the inevitable battle with Chicago that finally carried the torch into the east until MJ hung up his sneakers...then, Shaq went to the darkside...and the darkness that followed....three straight dominant championships....and another finals appearance that would lead to the darkside's demise....I told ya, man....I hate the Lakers.
Yesterday, I found myself cheering you on against a Suns team that I really enjoy watching. Steve Nash has always been a favorite of mine....until I saw him take a shot at one of your boys....Sasha Vujacic...it wasn't much...just a little "step away from the two time MVP shove"....and you got right up in Nash's grill....I don't know what you said...but damn it was cool to see....I can only imagine what you said to defend one of your fellow players....but I liked it...and I can't believe that I'm saying this.....but at that moment I saw Nash as the bad guy...and you were (gulp)....the good guy. And I cheered your team....I cheered the Lakers to win!!!!
What I saw was a very controlled #8. Getting his teammates involved....making Kwame Brown look like a legitimate force in the paint...you controlled your gunslinger mentality and made your team better....29 points....10 rebounds....5 assists....and most importanly, you gave your team tons of swagger....everyone on that Lakers team had scored...and they won the game....thats how you make your team better....that's what an MVP does....
If I were Mike D'Antoni or Steve Nash...I'd be a little worried that this series is tied up at one a piece and on its way to the Staples Center. Kobe has done something to this team. Or maybe Kobe has just finally awoken to the teachings of the Zenmaster. I saw this in MJ when they finally made it to the big show. I saw MJ change into the controlled player that knew how to dominate a game by more than just making spectaclular shots. If the Lakers can keep this up during the L.A. stop....we could see an upset in the making. And if Kobe's control is like it was in game two....and his team responds like it did in game two...I'll be wondering about that MVP award outloud. And cheering on the evil empire....please forgive me, basketball gods....I'm moving to the "darkside".
Okay, this is plain ridiculous...is this all we can talk about when it comes to the NBA. Lebron this, Lebron that. Sure, he's a phenom. And sure, he can ball. But every sports website, and every other blog I see here is about Lebron "Coming Back to Earth" after his worldly performance in game one.
Let's talk about this triple double real quick. What I saw was Lebron going nuts against a Wizards team that has lacked defense all season long. What I also saw was Lebron obtaining said triple double with a rebound in the final minutes of what pretty much was a blow out. So after this "awesome game", we read about how impressed we were at how the "King" handled his first playoff experience...and now, after a dismal performance against the same Wizards team that still lacks the same type of defense, we keep being reminded of how young this "King" is. And he's gonna make mistakes...awwwww...pooooooorrr King....
I'm not hating, Lebron is an awesome player. The best player in the game...well, lets not jump to that conclusion just yet...when he can look at his ring finger and see the shining metal and diamonds glistening from his hand...then we can call him the greatest. And I like many others, believe that this will happen in due time.
All I'm trying to say is that there are 15 other teams going at it right now. That's 195 players involved in this year's playoff run. I see no talk in the change of strategy from Eddie Jordan (did ya know that he's the coach of the Wizards?) that pretty much was a brilliant adjustment....(hello playoffs)....of Gilbert Arenas and the 30 points that he plugged in game two...(in front of a Cleveland crowd)...of the defensive efforts of Jared Jefferies and Caron Butler, whom of which took turns in shutting Bron down...
But still Lebron is the headline on every NBA website I look at....and pretty much, the subject in most of these blogs I see....sheesh guys....its the NBA, not the NLA.
And with this, my Lebron article about the Lebron overkill is done...(now isn't that ironic!)
Send Message
Add Friend
Block User
Invite to Group
Report User 
