Point Guard Issues

In Wednesday's Lakers game versus the San Antonio Spurs, the Lakers found themselves in an extremely difficult situation; they had no point guards.

Jordan Farmar is recovering from knee surgery, Sasha Vujacic is suffering from back spasms, Sun Yue is afraid to play competitive basketball, and Derek Fisher suffered a minor groin tweak. To sum up the situation in Wednesday's game, the Lakers were playing Trevor Ariza, Vladimir Radmanovic, Lamar Odom, Josh Powell, and Andrew Bynum. Average height: 6'10". Success rate: Poor. Please note that the Spurs were playing three guards and the Lakers were forced to settle for jumpers. Oh! Tim Duncan was on the bench too.

The Lakers do not necessarily need immediate help at the one position, but they are definitely in a strange position without a 1-guard to defend the quicker guards in the league. Derek Fisher, in his elongated playing time, has proven to be a terrific shooter and a decent defender, but the Lakers have to be worried about playing the aging Fisher 40+ minutes a game.

As an avid Lakers fan, the point guard situation is not a huge issue because the Lakers have the triangle offense and this guy named Kobe Bryant. What does bother me is that Derek Fisher lost us the game that Kobe salvaged. Rant rant rant. Sigh. Orlando Magic on Friday, tune in.

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2008's Best Commercial: T-Mobile ft. Wade and Barkley

TIME Magazine has chosen the following T-Mobile commercial featuring Dwayne Wade and Charles Barkley as the best of 2008. Sweet!  

BTW, don't be fooled by how good Chuck comes off here. He is undoubtedly still a dumbass.

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NBA Top Plays of November

Thoughts?

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Lebron calls Barkley stupid. It's about time!

Lebron James recently responded to Charles Barkley's criticism by saying (and I quote, hence the little indentation that means a quote):

He’s stupid. That’s all I’ve got to say about that

This is a really big deal for me. Why? It's not because I think Sir Charles was out of line in telling Lebron James to "shut the hell up". On the contrary, I agree with super blogger David P. that LBJ needs to tone down his sexual yearning for NY. It's just too much right now. It's too much, and too early (have you seen the Cav's record this year?).

It's a big deal because doggone-it Charles Barkley is stupid. I've been wanting to preach this to the whole world for so long. Now at least we have all the Lebron fans on our side. The only time I like Charles is in those t-mobile commercials. He's not bad when he has a script and gets multiple takes. But, on TNT he's just incomprehensible. I'm sick of trying so hard to understand what he's trying to say. And then once I do get what he said, I realize it wasn't worth the effort!

Also, does anyone get the feeling that this year's Lebron is a completely different Lebron. There's this swagger about him now. I feel as though this is what the real Lebron has been like for years, but his publicist kept him under wraps. I really appreciate the fact that he's showing us his true character. But, now that we really know him, isn't he sort of lame? Take Barkley's advice to heart Lebron, knowing that non-stupid people feel the exact same way.

"..shut the hell up"

Here are some interesting Charles Barkley quotes I found from this site.

“We don't need refs, but I guess white guys need something to do.”

“My initial response was to sue her for defamation of character, but then I realized that I had no character.”

“If somebody hits you with an object you should beat the hell out of them.”

“The main thing to do is relax and let your talent do the work.”

Update (courtesy of reader H.R.): Charles Barkley reminds us that he is a dumbass

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New York, New York, All About New York

Lebron James heads into Madison Garden today to play the New York Knicks. Before moving on, let’s get one issue straightened out: Lebron James still plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The former #1 pick is arguably the most dominant force in basketball, both on and off the court, but he is clearly lacking in the professionalism department. Lebron James was born in Akron, Ohio, played high-school basketball in Akron, Ohio, and now plays professional basketball in Cleveland, Ohio. His entire life was spent in Ohio and yet, the only time he ever dawns a piece of Ohio gear is on the court. I understand that Ohio is not the greatest place to be a professional sports fan (Browns, Cavs, Indians), but to go out to various professional venues wearing New York hats is just a slap to the face for the people of Ohio. Sure, Lebron has maintained professionalism throughout his career by being an effective role model for the league and maintaining an immaculate track record off the court, but he is displaying complete and utter disrespect for the team and city that is paying him.

Basketball is a business and James is merely a part of their short-term business models. With Lebron on the roster, the Cleveland Cavaliers receive significant sales in jerseys and other merchandise, a superstar who is capable of winning games and national television time, and ticket sales from fans that want to see their hometown team win.

Unfortunately for the Cavaliers franchise, Lebron James attends Cleveland Brown games on the opposition’s side wearing a NY hat, goes to Cleveland Indian games wearing NY hat, and hangs out with Jay-Z, part owner of the New Jersey Nets, religiously. And today, after previously wearing NY Yankee inspired shoes against the Knicks, Lebron wore his new kicks, the Nike Zoom Lebron VI "Big Apple" edition, directly inspired by his love and adoration for New York.

I am not trying to say that Lebron owes any of his success to the people of Ohio, but he definitely needs to show Ohio some respect. He can say what he wants about winning and how he loves his hometown, but if he’s continuously dissing his state on nationally televised games by wearing NY apparel, it shows where his current and future priorities lie.

Lebron, you’re a great player, but come on. This is way too much. You are a superstar and everyone expects you to have superstar friends, but the hats have got to go. Show some class and love for your hometown.

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Steve Nash Shouldn't Fight

In the desert of Arizona, the Houston Rockets challenged the Phoenix Suns to a battle of athletic competition. By the third quarter, the Rockets held a commanding lead and the Suns were not happy. Watch what happens.

After listening to the complete bias of the Rocket announcers, you would automatically believe that Matt Barnes was at complete fault. Wrong. During the game, Steve Nash was the victim of questionable screens set by the Rocket players (not shown). Matt Barnes, being the noble teammate that he is, decided to retaliate against the Rockets' smallest player, Rafer Alston. And I for one, loved it (Rafer Alston is a punk)

However, the point of this article was not to correct the obvious bias of the Rocket TV announcers, but to point out Steve Nash's inability to fight. After Alston bodied Barnes for the hard foul, Steve Nash ran in and basically threw himself to the ground. If you're heated and pissed off enough to throw a punch, do it. If I was Nash, I would be ashamed. That was the most pathetic showing in a fight since Jeff Van Gundy and at least he had an excuse, he was 5'9".

Other things to note:

• Shaquille O'Neal is a beast. From a stand still he pushed down Tracy McGrady and arm barred Yao Ming to the ground.
• Matt Barnes threw the most blatant foul at Rafer Alston, but the referees did not blow the whistle. The referees did a good job of stopping the fight, but their huge non-call started all of it.
• I wonder what Steve Nash said for T-mac to react so quickly.
• What was Rafer Alston hoping to accomplish by grabbing onto to Steve Nash's arm.
• Hypothetically, if Shaq was the only one of the floor, would he be able to beat-up Yao, Scola, T-mac, Brooks, and Alston by himself? I say, "Yes."

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Does Anyone Remember When KG Was Respectable?

I sure can't. This recent incident with Jose Calderon just reaffirms how much of a douchebag Kevin Garnett really is. I'll be honest in saying that I have a clear bias ( huge Laker fan ) but truly that is irrelevant in this case. The Lakers have been bitter rivals with the Spurs for who knows how long, yet I still believe Tim Duncan is one of the greatest and most admirable players in the league.

Here's the video of Kevin Garnett being Kevin Garnett.

For those of you who've forgotten what type of person KG really is click the link for more:

In 2004 Kevin Garnett punched his rookie teammate Rick Rickert.

Garnett punched Rick Rickert, a second-round draft pick of the Timberwolves last season, according to several sources with knowledge of the event. Seven stitches were required to close the cut on Rickert's chin, said Susan Rickert, the player's mother, during a phone interview yesterday.

Garnett's agent and a Timberwolves spokesman declined to comment.

According to a report in the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Garnett's attack was unprovoked.

Rickert, 21, scored several times with the 6-foot-11 Garnett guarding him. Several other players began to "tease" Garnett about being outplayed, according to a source. When Rickert scored again, Garnett struck him without warning.
- Washington Post

In 2000 Kevin Garnett punched Wally Sczerbiak in the head

The dislike between the two players has been played up ever since Garnett punched an unsuspecting Szczerbiak in the locker room after practice a few years ago.

Tim Duncan stands up for Tony Parker. Kevin Garnett cusses him out. TD responds with "You're tripping man."

In the best-known example of his newfound forcefulness, Duncan got into a face-to-face smack-talking session with Minnesota's Kevin Garnett--an accomplished talker of smack, mind you--during a game in February. The Spurs were blowing out the Timberwolves, and after Garnett had given an extra shove to Spurs rookie point guard Tony Parker, Duncan began jawing with Garnett. Both were hit with technical fouls, and when the argument simmered, both were ejected. It was the first ejection of Duncan's career.

From the outside, it looked as if Duncan had earned a draw in his lip-wagging battle with Garnett. But while Garnett was getting his ejection's worth, spewing a stream of language so polluted that even Greenpeace would not bother with a cleanup effort, the best Duncan could come up with was to inform Garnett, "You're tripping, man." It was such an even-keeled response that the league office later rescinded the ejection and the $1,000 fine.
- The Sporting News

Another video of Kevin Garnett harassing Jose Calderon:



Say what you will about his intensity and passion for the game. Taunting might pass as a mere side effect of his emotion for the game, but punching a teammate is completely inexcusable (regardless of what was done to provoke it. And in the rookie's case this was apparently nothing). And it's all the more ironic because Garnett is constantly being deemed one of the greatest teammates to have.

Why is it that the traditional media seems to ignore all of this? It's as if Garnett has somehow been molded into the paragon of the NBA. A disgraceful paragon indeed.

Latrell Spreewell's coach choking or Kevin Garnett's teammate clocking? The two incidents are right on par with each other if you ask me.

One more thing: is KG not a complete psycho?

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NBA: 10 Things To Look Forward To

Finally basketball fans, the NBA season has started! On the first day, the Lakers looked dominant, Celtics won at home, Lebron lost again, and Derrick Rose is starting at point for the Bulls. Here is my list of things to look forward to this 2008-09 season:

1. The Lakers have two 7-footers in their starting lineup, Lamar leading the second squad, the deepest bench in the league, and Kobe Bryant. If they can stay healthy, I predict a 64-win season and the title.

2. Beantown just hung another banner in their historic stadium. Are the Celtics still hungry? And how will they deal with the loss of their best perimeter defender (how are they going to slow down Kobe?)?

3. Baron Davis is back in his hometown and playing for another historically bad team. Will he and Camby miraculously lead the Clippers to the playoffs?

4. The 76ers solidified their lineup with the addition of a healthy Elton Brand. Will the 76ers live up to their hype and challenge Boston for the Eastern crown?

5. There's was a reason to be excited in Portland, but he has the durability (and face) of a 55 year old man. After being manhandled in the opener versus the Lakers and losing Oden to injury, can Portland live up to the hype?

6. The Chicago Bulls looked like a huge mess during the offseason but everything came together in their first game with Derrick Rose at the helm. Can this rookie finally lead the Bulls to their full potential?

7. New York Knicks are still recovering from Isiah Thomas's past decisions. With Marbury remaining relatively quiet and Mike D'antoni as the coach, I believe we'll be pleasantly surprised this season.

8. Seattle, the most depressing city in America, no longer has an NBA franchise of their own. How will Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder fare in the Western division. (I'm not going to be optimistic here, 16 wins.)

9. Let's face it, LeBron James does not like the Cleveland Cavaliers or the city of Cleveland. He likes Jay-Z, he likes New York and it is a contract year. How is this season going to play out in Ohio?

10. Derrick Rose, OJ Mayo, Michael Beasley, and Kevin Love are expected to make huge contributions to their respective teams. Can these NBA neophytes really make a huge difference and who will make the biggest impact and win the ROY trophy? (I still say OJ Mayo)

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Kobe Bryant Better Get That Pinky Fixed

Through an update on his website, Kobe Bryant has announced that he will not be getting surgery on his pinky any time in the near future.

"I have always felt that I can still focus and play at a high level even through various injuries. That's really just part of the game. When the doctors told me recovery from a procedure could be 12 weeks, I just decided now was not the time to have surgery. What it really came down to for me is that I just didn't want to miss any time 'punching the clock' for the Lakers, given all we are trying to accomplish as a team this NBA season. I am just really excited and looking forward to being there with the guys when camp opens in a few weeks. That is a real bonding process and if I can avoid being on the sidelines for that, God willing, I will," said Bryant.

Many will discuss how honorable this is. Kobe Bryant is the ultimate trooper, sacrificing for the good of his team. He wants to "bond" his team, rather than heal himself. The ultimate altruist. He is a changed man!

Are you sick of my sarcasm yet?

I'll be honest in saying that I have absolutely no idea what the real condition is with Kobe's pinky. I also don't know what kind of pain he is in, nor do I know what the doctors said regarding the matter.

But this is getting silly.The media has been making a big deal out of this since March (or earlier). If this is as big of an issue as it was then, then Kobe needs to get his finger fixed so that he can be 100%.

If it really doesn't hurt that much, and he is basically 99% then I think he should let us know, otherwise the media will continually excuse lapses in his performance.

Scratch that. I just came across an article from February saying Kobe wanted to sit-out the All-Star game due to his injured pinky. If it was so bad that he needed to sit out a game in which he would play 15 minutes, I fail to believe it has gotten any better.

The smartest thing for Kobe to have done was to get surgery immediately following the olympics. A 12-week recovery time would mean he would return for the middle of November. He would have only missed 3 weeks of the season!

The Lakers have gotten to the point where they are perennial Championship contenders. Come June they need every last facet of their team firing on all cylinders. Kobe isn't fooling me when he says he wants to forego surgery to bond with the guys. I'm rather certain Kobe could come still come to all the practices he wants even with a cast on his hand.

This all just seems so very illogical to me.

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NBA Corner

A quick look into the NBA.

Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur (pictured right) were excused kicked out of the NBA rookie program after violating unspecified league rules. The Heat and Grizzlies did not give additional details, but everyone knows that they were booted for smoking pot with a couple groupies in the hotel room. Chalmers and Arthur said the weed belonged to the women. Good try.

The New York Knicks are managing Isiah Thomas’s blunders and desperately trying to recreate the winning ways of the 90’s. Step 1: Acquire Patrick Ewing...… Jr.
Check.
Junior is not anywhere near his father's talent, but beggars can't be choosers.





Donyell Marshall agreed to a one year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, which added another veteran to their studded lineup. Marshall’s effectiveness is in question after three sub-par years with Cleveland and Seattle, but then again, playing with good players makes everyone better.

Former all-star Jamaal Magliore signed with the Miami Heat. Since his all-star year back in 2004, Magliore has worn 5 different jerseys and been subjugated to a back-up roll. The 30 year old veteran should be able to start and be effective for the Miami Heat this year.

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The Bads' Goods

Bad News: Monta Ellis of the Golden States Warriors suffered a severe ankle sprain after some “off-season work outs” in Jackson. The team has questioned the actual source of Monta’s injuries, but however you look at it, the ensued surgery will require at least three months to recover from.

The Golden States Warriors are now in an absolute horrible position (i.e. having both legs tied behind your head with a train rapidly approaching as the Joker tortures your family). Their only legitimate point guard is the unproven Marcus Williams who will most likely fail at running the one full-time.

Good News: There is a chance that the Warriors will look into acquiring Shaun Livingston, the injury prone point guard formally of the Los Angeles Clippers. His stock is extremely low, his talent is really high, and I have this feeling that he might actually stay healthy this year. With Livingston, I expect the Warriors to be significantly more competitive in the West.

The Good's Bad: Shaun Livingston, if miraculously healthy, will not help the Warriors win too many extra games. Sorry GS, not your year.

Bad News: Manu Ginobli of the San Antonio Spurs will also require surgery to repair a ligament in his left ankle. The surgery will force Ginobli to be sidelined for 6-8 weeks and have him miss a few regular season games.

More Bad: Ginobli’s absence may require extended playing time from the increasingly ineffective Michael Finley. With the extended time, the 35 year old veteran will be at a higher risk of earning himself a handicap placard. Michael Finley. Handicap placard.

Good News: Manu plays on a solid Spurs team that can pick-up the slack for the 30 minutes-a-game bench player. The Spurs have Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, who will give opposing teams more than a handful already. The Spurs also have newcomer, Roger Mason, who will be eager to prove his worth after a breakout season with the Wizards.

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Sonics Won't Be Returning to Seattle

The lawsuit that Howard Schultz launched against the new owners of the ex-Seattle Supersonics franchise has been officially dropped.

This was first reported on here

After two recent rulings in Schultz’s lawsuit went in favor of Bennett, the Starbucks Corp. CEO filed a motion for dismissal Friday in federal court.

“As a result of these developments, our legal team and I no longer believe we can be successful with this litigation,” Schultz wrote in a letter to former members of his ownership group, the Basketball Club of Seattle.

Howard Schultz was the previous owner of the Supersonics franchise and claimed that Clay Bennett violated the terms of the sale of the franchise. According to the terms Clay Bennett and the new ownership was supposed to exercise good faith in trying to keep the team in Seattle. But, it had appeared as if this was never the intention.

The suit has been dropped because Schultz and Seattle decided that it was not smart to get on the NBA's bad side. If they were to lose the case, they most likely would never be able to secure another NBA Franchise. Instead, they chose to make amends with the NBA and hope that the next team relocation will be to Seattle.

“We have received feedback that a continuing adversarial relationship with the NBA was not politically useful to the city’s ongoing efforts to secure a future franchise,” Schultz wrote. “Thus, the prevailing wisdom of many in the Seattle community and the advice of key members of the BCOS is that Seattle’s best chance for a professional basketball franchise is to end this litigation and allow the city, state Legislature and other parties to begin the necessary fence mending with the NBA.”

Personally, I'm pretty darn pissed. This was the ONE opportunity to make an example out of David Stern who seems to be omnipotent these days. I guess this is overall better for the basketball world because there's less overall volatility. And I'm sure fans in Oklahoma City would have been rather upset. Maybe I just like drama. Or, maybe I want someone to slap David Stern in the face! (He did do a good job promoting the sport however, hurrah hurrah for him)

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The All-NBA Gridiron Team

Even though ESPN’s Sports Center is overrun by the upcoming NFL season, I really want the NBA season to hurry up and start. In my attempt to celebrate the massive anticipation of both leagues, I’ve decided to create my own football dream team, composed of NBA players.

Offense:

Quarterback: Allen Iverson. (pictured right) Considering his toughness, speed, and dominance as a high school quarterback, he is arguably the most qualified quarterback in the NBA. He’s the NFL’s Michael Vick… pre-dog-fighting.
Back-up: Kevin Love. First of all, good luck trying to sack a 6’10” 270 pound beast. And secondly, no one throws a quicker and more accurate deep ball than Kevin Love.

Running-back: Lebron James. You cannot bring down Lebron James. He’s too big, too strong, too athletic, too quick, and too fast for you and anyone else. I think every NFL team should try to convert 6’8” 240 pounders into running backs; championships guaranteed.
Back-ups: Baron Davis. Played high-school ball. Has an awesome beard.
Chris Paul: He’s quick, crafty, and has amazing vision. No one else works better in traffic than the elusive CP3.

Full-back: Derek Fisher. With his muscular lower body and dedication to getting low on defense, D-Fish will clear out some major space for the running backs. He is freaking buff.
Back-up: Tyrus Thomas. There’s nothing quite like brute strength to get rid of defenders. He also attended LSU where all students are required to understand the ins and outs of football, so he should know a thing or two about the sport.

Wide-receivers: Kevin Garnett. At 6’11”, very few people are better than him at catching lobs and alley-oops. His speed, athleticism, and focus should make every bomb and fade seem like a walk in the park. And if you do manage to get in the way, he will scream at you.
Dwyane Wade: Probably the best route runner in the NBA. His explosiveness and ability to change directions make him the most difficult player to defend without the ball. Unfortunately, the expiration date on his ankles is rapidly approaching.
Back-ups: Jamario Moon and Rudy Gay. The concept of football is simple. Throw the ball high in the air and Moon or Gay will jump and come down with it.

Tight end: Dwight Howard. If you’re the quarterback and Dwight Howard is your 6th blocker, you’re going to feel safe. Also reassuring is how well the 6’11” monster catches.
Back-up: Andrew Bynum. Not as intimidating as Dwight, but he’s a bigger body with softer hands.

O-line: I wanted to take the most physically gifted players with mass and put them on my offensive line. I highly doubt that you would feel confident in your pass rushing abilities when my seven guys averaging 6’10” 270 pounds know a thing or two about holding their ground.
LT: Jason Maxiell. Frightening powerhouse with sufficient speed to pick up blitzes and protect my potential quarterbacks’ blind sides.
LG: Kendrick Perkins. Big body and a filthy face.
C: Shaq O’Neal. Playground football; put the fattest kid as the snapper. Plus, he loves being the center of attention.
RG: Glen Davis. The last person who tried spent 3 months trying to get around “Big Baby.” Good luck getting to the QB.
RT: Matt Harping. WTF Matt Harping? He’s probably the most physical player on my line and he plays with a chip on his shoulder. His intimidation alone earns him a starting gig.
Back-ups: Jason and Jarron Collins. These big seven-foot brothers are terrible basketball players and most likely terrible football linemen; but 260 pounds should be somewhat effective.

Kicker: Steve Nash. Canadian.
Back-up: Kobe Bryant. His ability to speak Italian comes with soccer talent.


Defense:

D-line: Ben Wallace. Something about his mental capacity seems to match perfectly with football.
Marc Gasol. Seven feet tall and he reminds me of a hardcore outdoorsman. In my head he should be wielding an axe in a red flannel and Wrangler jeans when he’s not playing football.
Elton Brand. I see him as a brute force type of guy.
Mark Madsen. Every coach loves a Mark Madsen type player, even if he does lack athleticism, skill, speed…. But somehow he’ll make the play.

Linebackers: Ron Artest. He will probably win a fistfight versus anybody in the league, and that is because he probably hits really hard. Receivers and backs would most likely do "the quarterback slide" to avoid getting toppled by Artest.
Corey Maggette. Corey is the most chiseled man in the NBA and he wants to hit you hard.
Lamar Odom. LO is a notorious for his lack of inspired play, but when he is inspired, WATCH OUT.
Back-up: Maurice Evans. Think Corey Maggette, but not as buff. Mo Evans understands this and will take out his frustrations on the opposing team.

Cornerbacks: Kobe Bryant. There’s a reason he was called the Doberman during the Olympics, football shall not be any different.
Bruce Bowen. He does have the quickness and footwork to stay in front of any player, but really, the dirtiest player in the NBA should fit right at home in a full-contact game.
Back-up: Raja Bell.

Strong safety: James Posey. He’s quick and strong. But the deciding factor was his mouth-piece, which demonstrates that he’s prepared for violence of the gridiron.
Back-up: Kenyon Martin. Similar to Ben Wallace, he’s not very bright, but he is damn strong and athletic. I wouldn’t mind having a blue-collar guy like him knocking some sense into unsuspecting ball-carriers.

Free Safety: Nate Robinson. You should first be recapped on the NYK vs. Denver scrap a couple years back. You should notice how at 5’7” he is right in the middle of the squabble, not backing down to anyone. And even after his mini-altercation with JR Smith, he’s still punking Carmelo for sucker punching his teammate. Nate Robinson, you are the man.

Punter: Steve Nash. Canadian.

I just created an NFL dynasty team, now only if salaries were not an issue...

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The World Conforms to the NBA

FIBA recently announced three big changes in international basketball, that will make it look a lot more like the money/power hungry NBA.

1. 3pt line will be 22 ft. 1.7 in. (currently the line is 20ft. 6in. The NBA 3 is 23 ft. 9in.)
2. The key will be a rectangle (currently the key is trapezoidal. The NBA key is rectangular)
3. There will be a no-charge circle underneath the basket (currently there is no such thing. This exists in the NBA)
   

So all that arguing between ATA editors about how certain NBA players fit the nuances of the international game will be moot come the 2012 Olympics. Personally, I like the trapezoidal key. But I very much support the other two rule changes.

The players are simply to big to have the three point line at 20.5 ft. And the no-charge cicle should promote more athletic and exciting fast-break plays. Thoughts??

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In China, Shaq Statue Represents Fatness

Curiously out of the LA Times today was an article by head sports Columnist Bill Plaschke. With all that is going on in the sports world, Bill Plaschke decides to write about a flippin statue??

But who am I to complain, I was quite amused, so I guess it served it's purposed. Apparently, everyone Bill Plaschke met at the statue was dumbfounded about its reason for existence.

I'll be honest, I'm not the greatest Shaq fan. In America, my dislike for Shaq often meets resistance from folks who respect his post moves and overpowering presence. Whatever. In China, at least, my opinions seems like the consensus.

"Shaq is a good player, but, look here, he is little fat," Chen said.

"I walk past him every day and I think, he is just so-so," said playground player Lei Shi, 26, as he walked to his game. "We're not sure why he's here."

"Kobe is younger, and that Shaq over there is fatter," said Tony Zhang, 24. "Kobe is today. Shaq is too old."

Young athletes pass him on their way to and from their basketball games. Almost every time, they look up at him. And almost every time, they shrug.

"One good thing about this," Minghas Li said. "Shaq can't sing in real life, and here he will not be able to sing."

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NBA Update

There exists a small community on this expansive planet called the NBA. This small collection of ~450 people has typically been characterized as the home of the greatest basketball players in the world. However, this community is at a serious risk of being completely forgotten by an attention-whoring organization known as the IOC; led by none-other than the attention tyrant, Michael Phelps.

Phelps utilizes the destructive forces of 8 gold medals to brain-wash every employee of the NBC media company, resulting in a sweeping mania over swimming and all else related to the Olympics.

However, as the basketball-preservationist leader of the local ATA sports foundation, I took up on a journey to determine how this community was progressing (/deteriorating).

Here are the key findings from my recent journey:

• In a recent 6-player trade involving three teams, the Cleveland Cavaliers gave Joe Smith to Oklahoma City and Damon Jones to the Milwaukee Bucks to acquire Mo Williams. Oklahoma City also received city-favored Desmond Mason while the Bucks gained Luke Ridnour and Adrian Griffin. Williams, after averaging 17 points and 6 assists a game, is expected to significantly relieve some of Lebron's offensive burden; a task Larry Hughes previously failed to do.

• The front office of the Philadelphia 76ers have been particularly busy. They recently re-signed a budding Louis Williams (11.5 ppg) and also we're able to lock down their incumbent star, Andre Iggy Iguodala to a 6-yr $80 million extension. They also offered the shot-blocking guru, Theo Ratliff, a one year veteran minimum's salary.

• Michael Finley re-signed with the San Antonio Spurs after being courted by a number of teams such as Boston.

• The Atlanta Hawks immediately matched the Memphis Grizzlies' 5-year $58 million offer to restricted free agent, Josh Smith, showing the world that they failed in their attempts to low-ball the high-flyer. However, they also made a key acquisition in signing the talented NBA nomad, Ronald Murray.

• Brandon Roy of the Portland Trailblazers recently had successful knee surgery to repair a tear on his left meniscus. The third year star should recover in 4-6 weeks from his minor surgery, in time for the season opener.

• Josh Childress's move to Greece has truly impacted the NBA, inspiring mid-level players to also make the jump to Europe. The most recent athletes to cross are Carlos Arroyo (Israel - $2.5 million), Earl Boykins (Italy - $3.5 million), and Jannero Pargo (Russia - $3.5 million). They will be joining Childress, Jorge Garbajosa, Primoz Brezec, Juan Carlos Navarro, Carlos Delfino, Dan Dickau, and Bostjan Nachbar as NBA defectors.

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USA Roundball Woes

The 1992 Olympic Dream Team was the most dominant team in USA's history. The team featured 10 hall of famers(to-be) and won the Olympic tournament by an average margin of 43.8 points per game. That is what you call pure domination.

The current 2008 Olympic team has been tabbed as America's Redeem Team, the collective group that will bring back the gold after three consecutive tournament failures ('02 FIBA: 6th; '04 Olympics: 4th; '06 FIBA: 3rd). This team features Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Chris Paul, and Dwyane Wade, the best players in the NBA, yet they can barely squeak by teams like a Bogut-less Australian team. This team is arguably the most athletically gifted team ever to be assembled, but why is winning still so hard?

Let's break it down.

The Dream Team featured 10 of the greatest players to ever play the game, and the other two were Chris Mullin (25ppg) and Duke-sensation Christain Laettner. The team had two 7 footers and no one shorter than 6'6" Jordan outside former all-time assist leader, Stockton, and former MVP Charles Barkley. Everyone but Clyde Drexler and Scottie Pippen averaged 50% field-goals for their career, and these guys only shot a marginal 47%, which actually would be amazing in today's league. Bird, Ewing, Jordan, Pippen, Malone, D.Robinson, and Stockton were featured on All-Defensive teams. And they were all capable of hitting their free throws.

The Redeem Team on the other hand has no 7 footers, 6 players 6'6" or shorter, and a serious shortage in the big-man position. Only Boozer and Howard average over 50% field goals, and outside of Michael Redd, the only two players who have ever shot over 40% 3-pointers in a season are Bosh and Prince, and in those years they shot 72 3-pointers combined. And of the 12 players on the roster, only 5 have ever graced the NBA All-Defensive team.

What does this all mean?

The United States will be pushed to the edge by strong international teams. Characteristic of all gold-medal and championship winning teams is defense. USA has excellent individual defenders in Kidd, Paul, Kobe, and Prince and an excellent defensive anchor in Dwight Howard, unfortunately, Prince offers little outside of defense (and should not get much PT) while Kidd and Paul play the same position. So at any one time, team USA will only have 3 of their top defenders on the court. Team USA is also terrible at defending the pick and roll, continues to get beat backdoor, gives up the 3-ball, and lacks the experience and communication to work together as one cohesive defensive unit. And to further the issue, defense does not end until the team seizes the defensive rebound, but the US team lacks the size and length to accomplish this.

Strangely enough, America gains a heap of its point from turnovers, resulting in fast-break highlight reels. However, when the US plays capable teams like Lithuania and Spain, those easy points will be greatly reduced and America will have to rely on its half-court offense (sh*t...).

We have the best players in the world and we're still not confident. Why? We could give Wade the ball and have him penetrate for an easy deuce, have Lebron power his way through for two, alley-oop dunk for Dwight, impossible fade-aways for Kobe, but the problem is, they're all twos. When your team scores two points, and the other team makes a three, you are losing (especially when your team can't defend the three). In the past two games, the US is 12-45, 27% from the shorter 3-point line, thanks much in part to Kobe (1-15). To make matters worse, the Redeem Team cannot make a free-throw. 34-50 at the charity stripe is an abysmal 68%, led by Lebron's team worst, 3-8.

When you add everything together, you still have the best team in the world; they just happen to be a small team that can't defend, rebound, or score enough. Thank goodness for double elimination.

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Why doesn't the Redeem Team stay in the Olympic Village?

This is why.

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I Support Kobe's Move to Europe, Anyone Else??

Please Kobe fans around America, do not hate me when I say that I would fully support Kobe's move to a European League. Let me explain first--at least.

Recently, Kobe Bryant made public that he would definitely consider a European team's offer for him.

“As players, the business of the game (is) evolving,” Bryant said before a Team USA practice at Beijing Normal University. “I think free agency now is becoming a global thing …. When players become free agents, the team they’re currently with – their competition is no longer the rest of the teams in the NBA. But it’s global. So, the market’s opened up. So we’ll just have to see how the league responds to it.”

It doesn't make sense for me to support Kobe's move. Most critics concur that he is the greatest basketball player on the planet right now. Shouldn't he play with the best of the best and stay with the NBA? It almost feels like it is his responsibility to do that. How else can all of his supporters truly say he is the greatest, when he isn't competing against them day in and day out?

What I see in Kobe if he does decide to leave the NBA is that he is finally becoming his own person. He is finally developing and understanding who he wants to be, as opposed to what the press tells him he needs to be, or what Michael Jordan was.

I truly believe that for a good portion of his basketball career, Kobe was constrained by the aura of Jordan. It wasn't even Michael Jordan himself, but the aura, and the legend that Nike created. If MJ was Kobe's father, it would be a classic psychological syndrome of trying to be that "spitting image" of your pa.

Early on in his career you could see that every detail of his game was a mimicry of Jordan. The hanging fadeaway, the tongue-wagging and the defensive intensity. No one reminded us of "the great one" like Kobe did, simply because no one really tried to be Michael as much as Kobe did.

The Shaq-Kobe feud? Part of it can defintely be blamed on this compulsiveness to be Michael's equal or greater. Kobe realized that his career would never be comparable unless he was the undisputed leader of a championship team (x6). He needed to demonstrate that he could do it. Or at least, he needed the chance.

But, in recent years we have seen progression by digression. Kobe has inched his way away from MJ, developing a better long distance jump shot (indisputable) and ball handling skills (arguably).

If Kobe were to leave for Europe, he would finally be on the path to creating his own basketball legend. Kobe is definitely a macro thinker. Kobe isn't just playing basketball, he's creating a story. If there was one thing that you could say Kobe is better at then MJ, it'd be speaking Italian--and English for that matter. Kobe should be using his international personality to his advantage.

I never believed Jordan had an international personality. Jordan had an international brand, and an international image. But he lacked the eloquence to blur borders. Ronaldinho is a magnificently gifted futbol player, but he will never be David Beckham. Kobe is lucky because he was raised in Italy. He already has international roots and influences. Jordan and Lebron will always be thought of as American. Kobe almost feels above that silly distinction.

I support Kobe leaving because I don't want another MJ, I don't even just want someone better than MJ. Just like Jordan made Kareem Abdul Jabbar an after thought, in 10 years I want to forget about MJ altogether. There is so much more about basketball that can evolve.

There is so much more about Kobe that can evolve. But really, he doesn't need to move to Europe at all. The mere fact that he's open to the possibility signifies to me, that Kobe has finally started writing his own life.

I like how he talks about gold medals being bigger than NBA Titles. I like how he brushed aside the failure in the NBA Finals as if it wasn't a big deal. I think basketball is going to get to that point sometime, a la soccer, and have global championships show who really is the best. But most of all, I like how since Kobe added an MVP to his titles and first team All-NBA and all defense awards, he has set his eyes on something bigger.

I'm excited because we are finally seeing the birth of Kobe Bryant. Now we can finally stop with the Jordan comparisons, because both Kobe and I are sick of them.

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The NBA's Financial Crisis

While it is still only in its incubation stages, the threat of a mass defection of NBA talent into Europe is extremely real. Already, significant players (Josh Childress, Carlos Arroyo) have gone to Europe for bigger pay days. To understand the appeal, it's absolutely imperative to understand the financial game that is being played by the GMs, owners, players, and agents.

The first question we have to ask ourselves is this: Will the USD remain weak compared to foreign currencies (specifically the Euro) for an extended period of time (at least until 2010's heralded FA class)? If you know the answer to this question, you ought to be trading on Wall Street, but the general feeling is that we are in a bear market and that the US economy will be taking a beating for quite some time (at least until the housing market corrects). The general prediction is that the housing market will take ~2 years to recover, which takes us right into the free agency of 2010. Will the dollar remain where it is compared to the Euro?

Likely - since the dollar is so cheap, US companies are actually benefitting from the increased exports, giving the US economy a slight boost, plus, the Fed doesn't want to raise interest rates and hurt the availability of capital in a time when the financial system of the country is at risk of failing. So yes, it looks like the 2010 Free Agents can look forward to a persistently weak dollar.

The second question is: Will the NBA re-examine its CBA? The salary cap, luxury tax, and max contract figures are the key elements. In Europe, there is no such thing as a salary cap, which is why people say that Lebron would be willing to go to Europe for $50mm a year (who wouldn't?). This figure is not possible in the NBA. Do NBA folks truly believe that their brand is worth so much to Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant, and the rest of the 2009/2010 FA crew that they would pass up 25 million dollars a year just to play in the NBA (the max salary in the NBA is around 25mil, so 50-25=25)? And that's just the gross figure. If we count taxes, playing in the NBA would require the player to forfeit more than half of that salary in taxes, so they're really only getting around 12mil. In Europe, they can get this money tax free. 50-12 = 38 million reasons to go overseas.

Also, considering that Childress has written into his contract that he can return to the NBA after each season, we can assume that any future NBA player who goes to Europe will have a similar clause, and there's really no opportunity cost to the player. We might consider publicity and sponsorships an opportunity cost, but really, in the NBA outside of the top tier of superstars, there really aren't many sponsorships out there.

David Stern and company must act quickly. The NBA is the best brand in basketball, and being the best buys them some leeway in getting players to play for less money - but at the rate its going, we might need to start getting familiar with CSKA Moscow, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Olympiakos.

• 2009 Unrestricted Free Agents: Kobe Bryant, Carlos Boozer, Allen Iverson, Ron Artest, Richard Hamilton, Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, Andre Miller, Lamar Odom and Rasheed Wallace

• 2010 Unrestricted Free Agents: Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Ray Allen, Tyson Chandler, Manu Ginobili, Richard Jefferson, Joe Johnson, Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Redd

We already had one solid NBA player go. If any of the names from the 2009/2010 FA class bolt for Europe, the reverberations will be far more shocking than the reaction to Childress' move.

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