CELEVISION

RECESSION PROOF

2009-11-23T11:02:00.020-05:00

SWITCH

Well the word switch can mean a lot of things. Like if you're a Knick fan you have to know when it's time to switch teams. Or how about this. Maybe at the end of the game when there are only a few seconds left you can switch the pick- and-roll!!! For those not in the know it is a known rule that if under five seconds, you always want to switch all screens. Coaches yell it at all levels, high school, college even biddy ball. You never leave a guy uncontested for a shot like the Knicks did last night. If you don't believe me you can watch it right here. This is the NBA, everyone can make this shot. Not to mention Kevin Garnett a future hall of famer and NBA champion. When the word "switch" was mentioned when I was a kid that meant I was about to get a beating with one from my Grandma. Then again I guess the Knicks have been taking a lot of beatings too!! And by the way, you pass up on Iverson so you can develop your young talent!!! Say what????

DON'T SLEEP

Rumors of the demise of the Big East were greatly exaggerated. I saw two teams this weekend that I would say could challenge for the title in the Big East. First and foremost we all saw what Syracuse did to North Carolina. They totally obliterated them in Madison Square Garden. I'm tired of people underestimating Syracuse. The 2-3 zone is legit and if you've never played against it, you just don't get it. Seems so simple to break but most teams just can't figure it out. Wesley Johnson is a pro. Brandon Triche has filled in for Johnny Flynn. The Cuse is for real. Seton Hall is even more scary than I thought. I watched them beat a good Cornell team that will win the Ivy League. Jeremy Hazell has no conscious and will shoot from anywhere. He went for 33 pts. Herb Pope the transfer is going to be a really good player in this league. He rebounds, looks to score, passes the ball and has a mean streak. The Hall may have the best point guard combo in the league in Eugene Harvey and his back up Jordan Theodore who went for 20 pts and 4 assists. I'm not sure these teams are too far behind Nova and West Virginia as far as talent and ability. It should be interesting.

MY BAD

I say this because I really doubted this guy. What a loser I was. How could I not know that Brett Favre would get it done when he had all those weapons? I just can't get around the fact that he is 40 years old and probably the front runner for league MVP right now. I want to apologize. Who was I think to think that one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play was washed up. Who was I to say that he couldn't go back and forth in making a decision about retirement? When you play like this you can do what ever you want. My hat goes off to Brett for another Favre-lous season.

ALL STAR GAME?

I will be the first to admit, I didn't expect this. I did think Brandon Jennings would be good, but not this good. What I also didn't expect was for the Milwaukee Bucks to be doing what they're doing. Jennings is the first rookie since Jordan in 1984 to have six 25 point games before Thanksgiving. Right now the Bucks sit at 8-3. I really thought they'd be one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference. Actually I said that on opening night on Comcast Sportsnet when they faced the Sixers. And I have to say this. I just have to say this. If he keeps this up, shouldn't he be voted to the All-Star team? Who really is playing better than him right now? Seriously, right now he may be the best point guard in the eastern conference!!! On another note, Milwaukee is still one of the worst cities to visit in the NBA. Not even a NBA Championship banner will ever change that.

RECESSION PROOF

Charlie Weiss

Really not sure how this guy has kept a job. You coach at Notre Dame. His record is 35-26 over five years in South Bend. His team has now last 3 games in a row. He's had his ACL blown out while standing on the sidelines. There's not much else that could go wrong. Weis came very close to giving his own argument on firing himself when he said "If they decide to make a change, I'd have to say, I'd have a tough time arguing with that."

Lawrence Frank

It's really hard for me to believe that your team can be 0-13 in the NBA and yet still are a coach. How could Byron Scott be fired and yet this guy still owns a whistle? How could you be a worse team than the Minnesota Timberwolves or even yet the New York Knicks? Whatever Franks has done for Rod Thorn to love him so much I'd like to know. It's like he has 9 lives.

Tom Cable

Anybody that continued to start JaMarcus Russell after how terrible he was playing needs to have his head examined. But after you allegedly socked one of your assistant coaches and then also have a story break about your abusive history with women you have to wonder how is he doing it. Then when you throw in the 3-7 record this one becomes a no brainer right? Nope. Cable is still around and actually got a win against the Cincinatti Bengals yesterday. He lives to fight another day. Oops, bad choice of words.

EARL BOYKINS

And I say this with the utmost respect. It always amazes me how Boykins has played in the league for 10 years. He is 5'5 and has averaged 9.5 ppg over his career. He weighs 133 pounds!!! This year he has latched on with the Washington Wizards. He actually went for 20 pts on his first night back in the league. I actually went to rookie transition camp with Earl Boykins. All the rookies were split into groups and we learned things about life and the transition to the NBA. I remember Earl telling me "Hey I'm just happy to be here. I know I am only 5'5 and probably won't be around for long." I wish I could talk to him today so I could say "Earl, you were so wrong."

CAN I REMINISCE?

2009-11-15T08:01:00.017-05:00

HOW YOU LIKE ME NOW?

First and foremost I have been a Brandon Jenning fan ever since he sported the high top fade at the McDonald's All American game. I am big fan of a guy who understands tradition. The first time I ever saw Jennings play was at the Rutgers Athletic Center right in my hometown of Piscataway, New Jersey as he obliterated my alma mater the Piscataway Chiefs torching them for 32 points while putting on one of the more impressive displays that I have ever seen from a high school point guard. And for all those quick to judge Jennings for going overseas, for all those quick to judge Jennings for his lack luster stats in Europe, for all those naysayers I would tell you that Brandon Jennings, because of his old school vibe is probably singing this song to you. Jennings went off for 55 points last night!!! That's a new Milwaukee Bucks record that he broke!! That's Kareem Abdul-Jabaar's record that he broke! The kid is nice. I covered him on opening night against the Sixers for Comcast Sportsnet and he almost had a triple double. Forget about what happened overseas, GM's in Europe are sometimes clueless. This guy is a star in the making. To top off why I am a big fan, the kid signs a contract for nearly $4.5 million and then goes out and does what? Buys a Ford Edge at the meager price of $26,900!!! Don't believe me? Check out this article. This kid gets it!!!

LOVE AND HATE

So we know that the college basketball season is upon us and we have to talk about the Big East Conference a little. Of course the conference won't be as strong as it was last year placing two teams in the Final Four in Villanova and UCONN. But the front runners this year are Villanova and West Virginia. But we have to talk about love and hate. Of course I love the Villanova Wildcats which is my Alma Mater. This is not just bias, this is fact. The wildcats return Scottie Reynolds who is a pre-season All American, Cory Fisher who is electric off the bounce and Cory Stokes one of the best shooters in the Big East. Add in a freshman class in Mouphtaou Yarou, Dominic Cheek and Malik Wayans and the Wildcats are even more scary.

West Virginia can be just as dominate. But I hate West Virginia. Why you ask? Because I can't shake the vision in college of their fans throwing coins at us while we were warming up. I hate the country rural landscape of Morgantown, as it is in the middle of nowhere. I hate that ESPN loves to send me there two or three times a year for games with the closest major airport being Pittsburgh about 90 minutes away. And last but not least I hate that loud musket that they shoot at halftime of every game, which has startled me every time I have stepped in that arena since I was a freshman in 1995. With that said the Mountaineers are tough. Devin Ebanks is a star in the making and don't be surprised if this is his last year in Morgantown. Da'Sean Butler is a real problem and with Joe Mazulla combined with Darryl Truck Bryant in the backcourt West Virginia should challenge for the Big East title.

WHO DAT? WHO DAT? WHO DAT SAY......

I'm just jumping on the bandwagon? Come on. For those that don't know I am originally from New Orleans, Louisiana. Lived there until I was 11 years old. So don't tell me I am just a Saints fan now. My dad and I have been Saints fans since way back when fans use to come to games like the picture above. The bag head fans were started in New Orleans. I sat through years of being ridiculed for being an "Aints" fan. They ain't gonna never win, they ain't gonna ever gonna make the playoffs. Most of you don't know what it feels like. You don't know what it feels like for your dad to take you to a game when the "Aints" are playing one of the worst teams in the league back in the 80's in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and still walk out with a loss. I look back on it and my Dad wanted to spare his poor son the feeling of a loss at a professional football game. He took me to a sure fire win and in typical Saints fan fashion it still turned out bad. So yes, now that the Saints are the best team in football, I am living it up. Drew Brees, Pierre Thomas, Marques Colston and Reggie Bush can do no wrong to me. Damn, you haters, let a man have his day in the sun.

SAYING GOODBYE

Why such an old picture of Allen Iverson you ask? I wanted to remember Allen Iverson like I met him, in a Georgetown Jersey instead of like this. It's sad to see one of the best little guys to ever play this game go out like this. But you have to wonder why Iverson won't accept the inevitable. You are getting old. Nobody, can compete against Father Time. Nobody has ever won this battle, especially at the guard position. Iverson's pride is probably what will do him in. His unwillingness to come off the bench and be a role player will of course be the cause of his demise. It's weird, but I'm torn on this one. On one hand I don't want to see Allen Iverson waiving a towel and coming out to mid-court to slap O.J. Mayo five or whispering in Mike Conley's ear "This is how I used to do it." Doesn't seem like Iverson deserves that. But on the other hand sometimes you have to pass on the legacy and let the young guys have there day. Iverson has never been the most humble or classy guy so why would I expect him to change now. But maybe if he retires it's for the better. It's better than being an old wounded vet telling war stories about back in the day. I dedicate this song to Iverson.

BEST TIME OF THE YEAR!!!

2009-10-27T10:51:00.026-04:00

AMTRAK SERIES

No it's not a subway series, but Amtrak is just as good. Just a short train trip south or north, depending on who your rooting for, is why this series is made for TV. Those not in the know or not from this mid-atlantic region from New York City down to Philly wouldn't quite understand. I live in NJ right above the cutoff where it turns from New York fans to Philly fans, from Giants or Jets fans to Eagles fans, from New York Knicks fans, to 76ers fans, and of course from Yankees fans to Phillies fans. You see this is bigger than just A-Rod versus A-Howard, or C.C. Sabathia vs. Cliff Lee. This is about the disdain and the dislike that New York and Philly fans have for each other. I've seen it many times in my life. I went to High School in Piscataway, NJ only 45 minutes from New York City. I went to College at Villanova, only 10 minutes outside of West Philadelphia. New York is the largest city in the country. New Yorkers think their city is by far the best in the world. Everything not New York is country and lame. Philadelphians hate this. They hate being the little brother of New York City. They hate that you would dare pass up the City of Brotherly love on I-95 in route to the City that never sleeps. They hate that you would actually pass up a Cheese Steak from Geno's or Pats for a slice of Pizza and Manhattan's bright lights. It's the arrogance of New Yorkers vs. the in-your-faceness of Philadlephia. The glitz and glamour of New York City vs. the blue collar hard work of Philadlephia. Philadelphia feels they're a tougher city, and that New York is always over hyped. New Yorkers feel like Philly just wants to be like them. Well it all comes down to this. It's not just about balls and bats or base runners. These are two cities that hate each other and might not even drink a beer in one of the other's bar, because it wouldn't quite taste the same. I live 54.3 miles from the new Yankee Stadium and 60.46 miles from Citizen's Bank Park in Philly. It's exactly 6.16 miles longer on the trip to Philly. With that said, I'm rolling with the Phillies, just something about the Yankess and their big pay roll doesn't quite sit well with me.

WHY?

I'd like to know what Blake Griffin was thinking at the exact moment of this picture to the left. I wish I could be inside his head to know his exact thoughts. Was he thinking why me? Was he thinking, is this really the team that is going to end my career? Was he thinking, I wonder if there's really a curse? I wonder will I get hurt and not be able to play on opening night? I have to be honest, I am extremely disappointed that Blake won't be playing tonight, but I'm not shocked. I wanted to see what he could do against the best team in the league in the Lakers. But it won't happen. It won't happen because he is on one of the worst teams in sports. A cursed team. I didn't even believe in curses until the very moment I saw how Griffin got hurt. It was a routine dunk, nothing special, landed fine and BAM!! Broken knee cap. It has to be a curse. Year after year it just never works out for the Clippers. I feel for Griffin. I fear for the foolish Los Angeles residents who actually root for the Clippers over the Lakers. I would want to get in their heads as well and ask why? Why do they think things will ever change? The same question that I want to ask Griffin.

So the NBA is back upon us. I have to say I am excited and this is my favorite time of the year. So here are my thoughts on some topics that some of my NBA fans may want to hear about.

TEAMS TO BEAT IN THE EAST

We know the Celtics were a depleted team last year without Kevin Garnett. He is the emotional leader and his return can't be measured. Let's keep a close eye on the situation with Rajon Rando. He's probably one of the top five point guards in the league now, but he didn't accept his contract extension offer from management. Rumors have it that Rondo is tough to coach and not so close with his teammates. Management was shopping him in the summer and that doesn't sit well with Rondo. Ray Allen and Paul Pierce both are good players but Father Time is chasing them. News today of Glen "Big Baby" Davis breaking his thumb in an altercation with an ex- LSU teammate is not good for the Celtics either, especially with Rasheed Wallace in town now. Davis will be out a few weeks and Celtics Co-Owner Wyc Grousbeck said he will be suspended. On paper the Celtics look good. But could chemistry be an issue this year? They'll win the garbage Atlantic division, but because of their age, they're still the 3rd best team in the east.

I will try to get through this paragraph without mentioning the King's name. We know he's great, arguably the best player in the league and will be in the MVP talk for the next ten years. So let's talk about the rest of the Cavs. Shaq's arrival should help if the Diesel is in shape. I played with him and when he's motivated he can't be stopped. But Shaq never makes it through an entire season without missing time. Delonte West, who's going through personal issues will be missed. Someone has to step up in his absence. The Cavs will be tough. And they have to be motivated after what happened in the playoffs last year. In my opinion, if they don't win it this year, they'll never win it.

This team was impressive last year. They were one of the best 3 point shooting teams in the league. They bring in Vince Carter to replace Hedo Turkoglu. Vince is a different type of player, but he can score with the best of them as he averaged 20 ppg last year for the Nets. Jameer Nelson is back and if he was healthy last year during the playoffs the Magic maybe wearing some jewelry right now. But it all rests on the broad shoulders of Dwight Howard. We know what he is defensively, the question is did he add some offensive moves to his off the chart athleticism? Did he improve his free throw shooting? If so, pencil them in to the NBA Finals. If not, the Cavs and Celtics will be swooping in for the kill. My opinion? This is the best team in the East.

This is my sleeper team in the east. No, they're not going to challenge for the Eastern Conference Finals, but they will be much improved. If Gilbert Arenas stays healthy this team can knock off a few people. The Wizards have added Randy Foye and Mike Miller to the fray. The Wizard were destroyed by injuries last year and the firing of Eddie Jordan who's now with the Sixers. Brendan Haywood is healthy this year, and when Antoine Jamison returns to the lineup this team can really score. Flip Saunders is an offensive coach, and the Wizard I think can easily finish anywhere from 4th to 6th in the Eastern Conference.

TEAMS TO BEAT IN THE WEST

It's rather juvenile to even talk about the Lakers. They are the defending champions. They have Kobe Bryant, Phil Jackson and the Laker legacy behind them. Why would they not be in position to repeat as champions? The only question would be the loss of Trevor Ariza who was instrumental in the Lakers success in the playoffs last year. They added Ron Artest, who is more than a viable replacement and brings toughness to a Laker squad that has been questioned about that for two years now. But what if Andrew Bynum finally becomes tough and grows into the man child he suppose to be? If so, pencil in the Lakers for maybe two or three more championships. But it may not happen. He went to St. Joseph High School in Metuchen, NJ. They have been rivals with my high school for 20 years. They produce softies. It may never happen.

One of the best franchises in sports over the last decade. The only time this team seems to struggle is when they're not healthy. They have battle tested veterans, guys who have been there before and probably, after Phil Jackson, the best coach in the league in Greg Popovich. Duncan is the best power forward to ever play the game. Tony Parker is the best not talked about point guard in the league and Manu Ginobili in my opinion, is one of the best European players ever to play in the NBA. They also added Richard Jefferson this year, who's been to the NBA Finals, Antonio McDyess and a beast from the Big East in Dejuan Blair. The Spurs arguably could be the best team in the league.

This has been formulating for awhile now. Brandon Roy is the biggest star in the league that nobody talks about. Maybe it's because he plays in boring Portland. Maybe it because here on the east coast we're not staying up late unless it's to see Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. But the kid is teetering on top five player in the league status. He's not there yet, but let's revisit that by the end of the year. LeMarcus Aldridge averaged 18 pts per game last year. Rudy Fernandez is another guy that can be a factor for them. Let's not forget about the addition of Andre Miller who I think is one of the more steady point guards in the league. But will he start or come off of the bench behind Steve Blake? He may not be happy if it's the latter. But the season really all falls on Greg Oden. Is he really the beast that he was said to be in high school? If he can do that then the Blazers may be challenging in the West.

No doubt the team with the most tatoos in the league. Not sure what to say about this team. They said bye bye to Dahntay Jones who was a very good perimeter defender. Their starting five is making so much money they don't have much cash to improve their team. With Chauncey Billups, J.R. Smith, Kenyon Martin, Nene and Carmelo Anthony, the nuggets can play with anybody in the league. The questions are the bench guys now. The Birdman Chris Anderson can bring the energy, Ty Lawson had 29 pts in a pre-season game and can really be a viable backup to Billups. But where will the points off the bench come from? Used to be Smith, but now someone else has to fill that roll. Who? That remains to be seen.

NO YOU DIDN'T!

So, I didn't have a problem with Mark Sanchez eating a hot dog on the sideline. What I did have a problem with is him trying to hide it and also him putting a little mustard on it! To me that was hilarious. You wanna hurry up and eat it, but you wanna make sure you have the right condiments on it. Can't have your hotdog without the mustard! Good thing the Jets won the game, or the fans would've accused Sanchez of doggin' it out there on the field!

BELIEVE IT OR NOT

2009-08-19T08:45:00.016-04:00

BELIEVE IT OR NOT

If you told me you believed that Brett Favre was going to play for the Minnesota Vikings I'd understand. If you told me you didn't believe he'd ever play, I also would understand. If you told me you had no freaking idea what was happening, I'd totally understand. The back and forth, see-saw type responses that Favre has given the fans and the media might be the most comical thing I have seen in the sport in a long time. I actually laugh at the guy while some are appalled. It just shows you how great of a player Brett has been over the years and how desperate these owners and coaches can be to get to a Superbowl in a business where only winning matters. Forget about integrity. Forget about loyalty. Forget about doing what's right. You have to wonder how Tavaris Jackson feels about the organization now? Can you really develop this kid to be a great quarterback? Can he ever really trust them? If Favre is the old Favre the Vikings can now be one of the best teams in the NFC. But if he's not do you go back to Jackson? How would that look? Favre has perfected the in-and-out move almost better than my man Chris Paul, the best point guard in the NBA.

NEVER EVER

I'd try my hand at a lot of sports. But I don't think I'd ever race Usain Bolt. Not even if you paid me a million dollars. There are many ways you can get embarrassed in sports. But I think there are two things that are the worst. One is getting knocked out in boxing and the other is getting smoked in a 100 or 200 meter dash. Nothing looks more pathetic then running your hardest and getting dusted by a far superior athlete. Bolt does this for a living. I am starting to wonder how it can be humanly possible. The man ran a 9.58!!! A new world record. I don't care what type of advantage you gave me. You could give me a bike and I wouldn't race the dude. I don't believe I could pick up enough speed in less than 10 seconds to beat him. No way no how. Never ever ever ever would I race this guy. He is a freak!! But hey on another note, let's stop with the football talk. I was watching PTI and they were debating it. Pleeaassse. The first time he runs across that middle and gets popped by a strong safety he'd realize that it didn't matter how fast you can run. Football is a man's game and the harder and faster you run into a brick wall the worst the result.

SHAQ VS.

Ok people you need something funny to watch? Check out Shaq's new reality show Shaq vs. on ABC. I played with the guy so I know how hilarious he is. He once tied rookie Devean George to a chair put him in an elevator and pushed all the buttons to each floor. One time he even told us about how good a football player he could've been, then lined up in a three point football stance and ran George and I over in the locker room. He made us do it, even though we attempted to decline. So is the life of an NBA rookie. He has always been a clown. And he doesn't disappoint in his new show as he takes on the Pittsburgh Steelers' two time super bowl winning quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Big Shaq actually looked pretty good out their on the gridiron. Again, the dude is a natural comedian. You can check him out here.

UPTOWN

Much props to David Stern. I now have a higher level of respect for my man D-Stern as he hopped on the 1 train. Ok maybe he drove, but however he did it he traveled uptown to Harlem to speak with a couple of brothers in the barbershop. Now hey, we all know that when you're in the barbershop anything goes. You can't dodge any questions and you have to meet them head on. He tackled everything from the Ron Artest saga, to the Dress Code, to the NBA's age limit. David Stern was more unflinching than Michael Vick as he tackled question after question at Mosaic Cuts Barbershop on the corner of 125th and Amsterdam Avenue in the heart of Harlem. He was invited by columnist William C. Rhodes who sometimes appears on the "Sport Reporters." The NBA is a black league. Harlem is a black area. How many commissioners would show up in the heart of the inner city just to talk some hoop with regular cats from around the way? Whether calculated or not a huge move by David Stern. He couldn't of did more if he wore some Sean John jeans and a oversized baseball fitted cap backwards to the NBA draft. And by the way Stern, I don't ever want to see something like this ever again!

CELEVISION IS BACK!!!

2009-08-13T08:32:00.016-04:00

MAYBE YOU BELONG IN THAT BOX!

Ok so I know this is old news, but CELEVISION has been on vacation for awhile so I have to catch up. First and foremost let me say, Stephon was one of my favorite players growing up. I played against him numerous times in AAU in New York City and actually used to play well against him. I got mad love for the dude. He is my era in the NBA. But seriously, I am scared for him now. I knew he was off when he showed up at a Knicks vs. Lakers game in a court side seat as a spectator when he was still under contract with the Knicks! He paid for his own seat!! What a gutsy, hilarious move, but yet still insane. If you haven't seen his 24 hour salute to himself then you just don't get it. His favorite line was to constantly shout "They tried to put me in a box!" Damn Steph! Not you. Such a sad day for Brooklyn. I didn't want to see him like this. The man was eating Vaseline on camera!! He thinks they tried to put him in a box. I say he belongs there, in a straight jacket.

RICK PITINO

People make me laugh when they get so extreme over things. Ok I am sure you heard that Rick Pitino was doing more than drawing up offensive sets in 2003. He was getting his swerve on. In no way am I defending the man. But hey, should the guy lose his job? Hell no! Pitino is a devout Catholic but it's not like he's at a Catholic University! He's a basketball coach, not a marriage counselor. He expertise is X's and O's obviously not marriage. He's still working on that. People kill me when they say "Hey I wouldn't send my kid there now." Well hey Pitino isn't recruiting your scrub kid! The man shouldn't lose his job. This guy didn't, and he lied right in our face! A word to the wise. Don't think you can creep move on and it will just go away. This was way back in 2003 and six years later this man is paying for it! And by the way, what kind of chick is this that Pitino was messing with? This woman, whom I won't even waste time mentioning her name accuses Pitino of rape and then tries to extort him for $10 Million. She married the Louisville Cardinals' strength coach at the school! That means she's been brushing shoulders with Pitino for years! What a joke! Is there any honor among thieves?

SAY WHAT?

Anybody who grew up playing ball in the playgrounds can understand this story. When we were kids whenever we would make a move to basket you had your signature player. You would yell out the guys name in the middle of your move to let everyone on the playground know where the move originated or who your player was. Everybody knows this. Most kids when they were in the air would yell "JORDAN!!!" Some kids after making a nice no look pass would yell "MAGIC!!!" A few kids would try to pull off the sky hook and yell "KAREEM!!" Those were the days. I grew up in the Heights section of Piscataway, NJ a mostly black area. There was one white kid that would come to the court and play with us. I will never forget the day he made a move to the basket and yelled out the unthinkable. He shot the ball in the air and yelled "RAMBIS!!" It was like those movies when everything just stops. We all looked around, like "Say what?" Then we all burst out laughing, most of us almost in tears. Rambis was probably the goofiest looking guy in the league. He wore these thick glasses. Not even goggles but glasses. He really had no game. But Rambis was tough! He was a hustler! It took me years to understand that, to finally come to respect it. Now, as head coach he has a very tough job with the Minnesota Timberwolves. A tough job for a very tough dude! Glad Kevin McHale's not still there. You two definitely wouldn't get along.

PROMOTION

I have always liked Terell Owens. More so because he has always produced. He may have a big mouth, he may be a spoiled brat, he may turn on you quicker than gold digger after your contract is up, but he always gets it done on Sunday. I think what he did in standing up for Michael Vick took a lot of courage. I even give him the credit for getting me to go harder in the gym. The dude is ripped! And even my wife is watching his reality show and talking about she wants to get into football now. I come home and there she is with her eyes glued to the television watching dude's show. So now I have doubled the situps and crunches because I'm not going to let him steal my wife. But I have to admit, his show is pretty good. T O knows his career is winding down and all he is doing is promoting himself. It's not like he's doing a Stephon Marbury, he's letting us into his personal life about things we really care to know about (sorry Steph). Glad that T O is getting that publicity now because come season time he won't be heard from again. Sorry Buffalo but your city maybe one of the worst places on the NFL map. Your city is known for wings and its proximity to Niagra Falls. That says a whole lot of nothing. I hope my wife gets a good look now, because he will vanish soon enough and then I'll be back to reclaim my throne as the sexiest man in the house.

WELCOME BACK?

I am really happy that Mike Vick gets a second chance as an Eagle. Philadelphia, is the perfect city for him. The fans are about results and the city of Philadelphia will not care about his baggage. I am rooting for the man more than I am rooting for any athlete in any sport this year. Has he paid his dues? Yes. Does he deserve another chance? Without a doubt. This is a country known for giving second chances. Some that come to mind are Bill Clinton, Mike Tyson, Allen Iverson, Lawrence Taylor, Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, Jessie Jackson, Malcolm X, Martha Stewart, the list goes on. Why is Vick any different? He isn't. And when he runs or throws for the first touchdown I am going to be the first one out of my seat jumping around. So many people have slipped up, so many people have been punished and so many people have come back. I say "Good luck" to Michael Vick. Sometimes comebacks are even sweeter.

GOLD DIGGERS

2009-07-06T10:22:00.021-04:00

GOLD DIGGERS

I ain't say he's a gold digger, but he ain't messing with no team that can't win a championship and that's what upsets me. We know that it's every NBA players goal to win an NBA championship. But I just can't stand when a guy goes and jumps on a championship caliber team just to get a ring. We call that chasing a ring. So when I see guys like Rasheed Wallace join a great team like the Boston Celtics or a guy like Ron Artest go to the Lakers it really pisses me off. Artest more than Wallace because at least Wallace won a ring on his own with the Detroit Pistons. But I must say this, to go and now join the Celtics, a team that you have done battle with in your conference seems kind of shallow. And hey, I love Ron Ron. I've played ball against him since we were in high school, but come on man! You go to the Lakers? We were enjoying seeing you and Kobe get into scuffles. I enjoyed watching him elbow you in the chin and wondering if you'd body slam him. And now what? Now Artest becomes Kobe's body guard. Where's the character these days? Rumor has it Jason Kidd is going to re-sign with the Mavs. He's gonna go and try to earn it. But not Ron Artest and Rasheed Wallace. They gonna go and do a Robin Givens, which entails jumping on the boat and going for a ride.

POINT FORWARD

The reasons why teams covet Hedo Turkoglu so much is because of his ability at 6-10 to make good decisions with the basketball. He can handle the rock, shoot from deep and pick apart your team with his pinpoint passing. The most impressive move I've ever seen him make in his career though, was agreeing to sign with the Toronto Raptors over the young up-and-coming Portland Trailblazers. A good basketball decision you ask? No. A good overall decision? Yes! You see Mrs. Turkoglu was not happy with the rural sticks and cloudy weather of Portland, a beautiful serene city but very boring and dull. On the other hand Toronto, a much more cosmopolitan city with lots to do and a buzzing Turkish community, would fit the Turkoglus much better. You see he won't win more games north of the border, but he will win at home. Portland with all it's young talent would be a much better opportunity to enjoy playing basketball, but hey when you're married playing basketball is overrated. You better enjoy home first. The key to a good marriage is just doing what your wife says. A great decision yet again, by one of the best clutch players in basketball. He delivers when the pressure is on. Too bad you won't make the playoffs my man. But hey, you can get your lamb or chicken kebabs on all day in Toronto.

A RING FOR THE KING? NOT SO FAST

The NBA is a funny league. A brilliant move by the Cleveland Cavaliers to bring in big Shaq. I think.... The big fella in the middle will command some attention down in the paint. As a matter of fact, it's already happening. As soon as the Cavs made themselves better the rest of the league said, "Hold up don't be trying to leave us." The Celtics get Rasheed to counteract that. The Lakers bring on Artest. Nobody wants to be left naked out there while the Cavs are adding to their wardrobe. So let's not get Lebron's ring fitted just yet. Looks like there's going to be a long line of guys looking for the bling next year.

SELF-DESTRUCTION

You know I feel sorry for the Orlando Magic. They won't be back to the NBA Finals next year. It's a shame too. Good things just can't stay the same anymore. Take a good look at this picture because it won't look the same come next year. The picture to the left was the starting five in this year's playoffs. It was fun while it lasted. Free agency has blown this teams starting lineup to pieces. Rafer Alston and Courtney Lee are both gone to the New Jersey Nets. Hedo Turkoglu as we said before is headed to Toronto. Their back up center Marcin Gortat looks like he's going to end up in Dallas. Things just won't be the same for the Magic. Vince Carter will be making his debut in an Orlando uniform. As great as he is, I'm not sure if he can fill the shoes of Turkoglu. They are going to miss Turkoglu's play making ability. It's sad but they'll be remembering the days when it was all so simple.

SAY IT AIN'T SO

I remember when I was in high school and my friends and I gathered around the TV to watch Iverson play in his first nationally televised game at Georgetown. He was electric. I had the opportunity to attempt to guard him in college and it's a night I'd like to forget. This guy has been an icon in this league. The tatoos, the braids. He was a trend setter. He will go down as the best little guy to ever play the game. He stepped over Tyron Lue in the NBA Finals. He crossed Jordan over twice. He put the city of Philadelphia on his back for years and left everything he had on the court. He also pissed off management in Philly and Detroit. He's been rumored to not have a stellar relationship with the Atlantic City Casinos or the ones in Detroit. He's had a problem with practice. I say this to say that Allen Iverson has been through it all in his career. And I can't believe I'm saying this but there is a possibility he won't have a job next year. What team will take him? What team can he fit into to? What if he has to come off of the bench? Will he accept that role? The answer has already answered that before. No way, no how. The picture above may be the same pose Iverson is in next year. But the difference will be, it may be from his living room.

CELEVISON'S TOP FIVE ACQUISITIONS OF THE LAST 20 YEARS

Shaquille O'Neal Goes to Lakers

Doesn't get much bigger than this. When Shaq arrived in Hollywood in 1996 things would never be the same. The Diesel would go on to win 3 championship rings with the Lakers while going down as arguably the best center in franchise history. If you are an Orlando Magic fan, you have to throw up in your mouth every time you see Shaq make a bucket and wonder, what if?

Charles Barkley to Phoenix Suns

For all the young readers you can't tell how great Sir Charles is now by looking at the circumference of his waist but he may be after Tim Duncan the best power forward to ever play the game. Some may say Karl Malone, but what this dude could do at his size was phenomenal. He was undersized and yet one of the best rebounders ever. Took Phoenix to the finals in 1993. But they couldn't stop the greatest player that ever lived. Nothing to be ashamed about.

Jason Kidd to New Jersey Nets

To me these were the best years of Jason Kidd's career. He played with great talent in Kerry Kittles, Kenyon Martin, and Richard Jefferson. But it was Kidd who led them to those back to back Finals in 2002 and 2003. He was at his finest moment and brought some respect to a franchise that was sinking in the Jersey swamps. Very difficult for the Nets to get respect with the Knicks playing in the world's most famous arena right across the Hudson. Kidd was the guy that did it. The Nets haven't been the same since he left.

Kevin Garnett to the Celtics

It was almost as if Kevin McHale felt sorry for him. He knew that there was nothing more the kid could give in Minnesota. He sends him to Boston and immediately KG delivers a championship. I don't remember ever be more happier for a player. Garnett could possibly deliver a few more before it's all said and done. We'll see. But can you just imagine if he and Marbury could've co-existed in Minnesota. How good could they have been?

Kobe Bryant to Lakers for Vlade Divac

I'm not going to even talk about this one. It would be insulting to all of us who call ourselves basketball minds.

HONORING MICHAEL JACKSON

2009-06-26T07:54:00.045-04:00

On the eve of one of the greatest tragedys in music history, the death of Michael Jackson, we still had to cover the NBA draft. I must admit, it was hard for me to watch the draft during this tough time, but we must go on. In honor of Michael Jackson, the greatest entertainer of all time, every subtitle will be one of his legendary songs or great lyrics.

#1 BLAKE GRIFFIN

"Remember the Time"

Obviously no drama here. He's the best player in a weak draft. He'd still be the best player in a strong draft. Front runner for Rookie of the Year. But he will also be the most irrelevant star in the league. He better "Remember the Time" when he used to win, because those days are over! I feel bad saying this, but I can't wait to see his face about 50 games into the season. He'll have the same look that tourist have when they come to New Orleans and take a trip on a bus to the Lower 9th Ward. They have this look of bewilderment or surprise like "Man, I didn't know it was this bad here." And then all the locals are looking at them like, "What did you think, we were just making this thing up?" This is pure hell and nothing's being fixed.

#2 HASHEEM THABEET

"Beat It"

I kept wondering how expensive it must have been to get a suit made for a 7-3 guy. A solid pick here. You have to select him. But what does it say about a draft where your #2 pick doesn't have much offensive game? Will he be a better player than say a Greg Oden? That is yet to be seen. As good as Oden is defensively, I think Thabeet may be even better. Every time a defender brings the ball inside Hasheem can "Beat It" up. I was really surprised by how great the guy is on camera. If he becomes a star he will make a lot of money in endorsements because he seems to have the personality. Being the first guy drafted from Tanzania must be awesome. I am rooting for the guy. But I have never quite recovered from the game when Dejuan Blair just slapped him in the face and took his lunch money on ESPN. It was the ultimate punking.

#3 JAMES HARDEN "Butterflies"

I don't know what it is about this guy that doesn't strike me as a #3 pick. I am feeling a little nervous about it. He does have an NBA body but it's not a scary physique. He has a body kind of like Paul Pierce. No muscle, just solid. Doesn't seem like an athletic freak or anything, but can score inside and out. I was suprised that they passed on Rubio, but maybe they were concerned that Ricky didn't like it there. If that's going to be there problem they'll be passing on guys every year cause not too many kids are taking spring break in Oklahoma City.

#4 TYREKE EVANS

"Smooth Criminal"

Remember the day I said this. Mark it down in your calendar. Tyreke Evans stole some good money in the draft by sneaking into this 4th position to the Kings. The kid's game is smooth. Evans will be a good player, but probably not a great point guard. Not sure about his character. He's a selfish player playing the point guard position. He lives by the creed of "Don't waste your tiiimmmmeee.... Because the doggonne ball is miiiinnnneee" He over dribbles the basketball and is a suspect defender. Tremendous upside? Yes. But some never make it up to the side. His jumper? Well, let's just no talk about it. And furthermore were talking about Evans too much. He's going to Sacramento. That is what we call the black hole of the league. He will disappear. A black hole being swallowed by a black hole. Fitting isn't it?

#5 RICKY RUBIO

"Iiiiii am the one.."

When asked who in the NBA is his game like, I thought for a quick second and came to the conclusion there was nobody. I was waiting for his answer and then he said the best line of the draft. "I'm Ricky Rubio, I'm not like anybody else." That told me a lot about the guy. He's one of the best passer's I have ever seen out of Europe. He's only 18 years old. Can he adjust to the physical style of play in the NBA? I think so. He will get stronger, but you can't teach the court vision. And how can a guy that has played pro since 14 years old be afraid? I don't think it's possible. The T'wolves got a good one.

#6 JOHNNY FLYNN

"Say, Say, Say"

Say, say, say whatcha want, but Flynn will be a very good point guard in the NBA. Say, say, say, watcha want, be he won't be in Minnesota. Why Jay Bilas, Mark Jackson and Stuart Scott failed to mention that last night is beyond me. There is no way that they will keep Rubio and Flynn in the same back court but the T'Wolves knew how good the kid is and I am sure they can package him with someone else to bring in another good player. They later drafted Wayne Ellington from UNC to bring in some shooting. Wherever Flynn ends up he will be a exciting point guard. Looks as if Sebastian Telfair will forever be a back up point guard in the NBA.

#7 STEPHEN CURRY

"Don't Go Around Breaking Young Girls' Hearts"

For Knicks fans he was almost there. They were one pick away from having one of the best player's in the draft. All the fans wanted Curry. And then...... The Golden State Warriors swooped in like a Hawk to grab the phenom. I have to admit, I wanted Curry to go to the Knicks too. I saw him play at Madison Square Garden this year. He struggled the whole game, but then mesmerized the fans at MSG in the games last five minutes making clutch basket after clutch basket, putting West Virginia away for good. Curry is very exciting to watch, too bad I'll have to stay up all night to see him get his booty handed to him playing for The Warriors. Maybe they should change their "Warrior" name because they rarely ever put up a fight. Was that a mustache and a beard I saw Curry growing last night? The kid is learning already.

#8 JORDAN HILL

"Just Reee-mem-ber to always Think Twice"

Poor Knicks fans. This is the least sexy pick of the night. First and foremost I have to say this. There has never been a superstar basketball player that wore dreadlocks. Maybe braids, but not dreadlocks. In football, they're ok, but not in basketball. They make you look out of control, no matter how poised your game is. Coach will be saying "your moving too fast, slow down." But it's not you, it's the dreads shaking out of control that gives off the mirage. He is a strong, athletic big man, but to me nothing special. He has some work to do on his offensive game and he played in the PAC-10, which I am not a fan off. Too soft of a conference in my opinion. "My strong advice.....just remember to always think twice" about taking a guy with dreads. And the Knicks will be thinking twice about this pick for a long time. Damn, Curry was right there!!!

#9 DEMAR DEROZAN

"Keep it in the Closet"

I just feel like this kid could've benefited from one more year in school. He is a freakish athlete who was the MVP of the PAC -10 tourney. Now his school is falling apart with all the allegations so that may be one thing that caused him to bolt. And he probably wants to make a little more money by going to the NBA (Get it?). All in all, I think he should've stayed and kept his game in the closet for one more year. Then he could've burst on to the scene. But hey, they say if you can go in the lottery then you should come out. So to Celevision Derozan says "Shut the hell up." And you know what? He's correct. Who the hell am I?

#10 BRANDON JENNINGS

"I want to Loooove You.....PYT"

This guy's game is exciting. He has the flair, he has the confidence. He rocked the high top fade, he took the trip overseas to the unknown. The Bucks are getting a player who is going to be a star, but I'm not sure when. He is still a tremendous talent and someone who can bring some flair to a town known for boredom. Jennings is exciting but he won't be excited by the lack of nightlife in Milwaukee. Then again, he's too young to go anywhere right now, and I mean that about his game too. I want to love this guys game, but he needs some TLC, tender loving care. I hope the Bucks can take him there.

#11 TERRENCE WILLIAMS

"Don't Think Twice!"

This guy is a beast. I love his game. The NJ Nets don't have to second guess themselves on this one. He is a solid player all around. Doesn't do one thing great, but does everything well. He can guard anybody and I think this guy is one of the toughest guys in the draft. He can rebound, score defend and run in transition with the best of them. He's the type of guy you can put on a Kobe Bryant or a Lebron James and he will be able to hold his own. A very solid pick and he deserves to be in the lottery. He's a little off too. One time I heard him as he was attempting to rap a Lil Wayne tune to himself in warm ups. He was so loud everyone in press row was listening too him. He was cursing and just yelling the lyrics oblivious to anyone else around him. He was in his own world. He seemed a little off to me at the time, but you know what, sanity is not what keeps you in the league. It's heart, effort, skill and opportunity.

#12 GERALD HENDERSON

"The Kid is not My Son"

Well technically Gerald Henderson Jr. still is the son of Gerald Henderson Sr. but now he will have to be a man in a man's league. When Gerald Henderson Sr. was asked about his son getting drafted he said, "I wish I can get out there and help him. You have to let him go, play and learn." Gerald Henderson Jr. is a talent. Very gifted athletically, good mid range shooter who can rise up over opponents. He is a little small for a shooting guard at 6-5 but very explosive. They say Duke players never make good pros but I think Henderson will change that realm of thinking. He has all the tools, but of course we have to wait, and the worst thing is, dad can't help him.

#13 TYLER HANSBROUGH

"Leave Me Alone"

Just stop dogging him around. What more can the man do? He is the all-time leading scorer in ACC history. He won a National Championship in college. He goes to work and plays as hard as he can every night. Let me tell you this, I am not a huge Hansbrough fan, but I would take him on my team any day of the week including weekends when everybody else is not working, because he will be. He won't be a superstar in this league, but he will play 10+ years I bet you. If you don't like him fine, but I bet you won't lock yourself in a phone booth with him and go head to head. I know who I'd put my money on to come out alive. And guess what, whoever is reading this and hating on him? My money wouldn't be on you.

#14 EARL CLARK

"Man in the Mirror"

One of the toughest kids I ever coached in AAU basketball was Brandon Smith from New Brunswick High School. He now plays safety for the Michigan Wolverines. He had dreads and he always looked intimidating. He was a football player first, basketball second, but he played basketball like he was on the football field. I remember his high school team was set to play Rahway High School which featured Earl Clark one of the best player's in the nation. It was a State Playoff game so the stakes were big. I was trying to hype him up by telling him he couldn't guard Clark. He said "Coach, I'm gonna shut him down. He's soft." Branden held him to 8 points that night and bounced the heavily favorite Rahway Indians and Earl Clark right out of the New Jersey Group II playoffs. Obviously the Nets weren't at that game. It was the first time I began to question Clark. He is probably hands down the most talented player in the draft. He is Lamar Odom like. The downside is he doesn't bring it every night. He could be a superstar, or he could be like my old teammate at Villanova Tim Thomas a guy your yelling at through the TV every night to pick it up as you wait on the "potential". It's all about the Man in the Mirror for Earl Clark. He better take a look at himself and make a change.

GUYS WHO SHOULD'VE BEEN DRAFTED EARLIER

DEJUAN BLAIR

This is the reason why I never went back to get my Master's Degree. They say it looks good on a resume, but is it really about the resume? Well if it was than Dejuan Blair wouldn't have went in the second round with the 37th pick. You're talking about the Big East Player of the Year. You talking about the Big East Rookie of the Year in the 2007/2008 season. A bully in the paint. The best offensive rebounder in the draft. But this was offensive to Blair. The Spurs found a ruby in a dirt pile.

TY LAWSON

Another guy who furthers my notion that a resume means nothing. Won a national championship. Is a jet with the ball. I am still trying to figure out why the Sixers passed on this guy? They went with Jrue Holiday over this guy? Not sure about that one. Even if Eddie Jordan brings the new Princeton style offense, I'm not sure how this guy can't help you with his lightening end to end speed. Goes to showing you sometimes that winning isn't everything. Denver is so happy right now, to get a guy this talented, this late in the draft. Don't worry Lawson, all you do is just keep on winning.

SAM YOUNG

I say this and I say with all the confidence in the world. The first time Sam Young throws that pump fake on someone and the defender goes flying in the air, and he drives baseline and almost brings the rim down, some opposing GM is going to say "Damn, we messed up." And "messed" is not the word I wanted to use!! Sam Young is going to play for the Grizzlies. Like my boy Delvon McMillan always says on his Facebook status just "Watch.''

This blog is dedicated to Michael Jackson. The King of Pop. We all grew up on MJ and music will never be the same without him. He was the greatest that ever did it. He has so many great classics I can't even name my favorite. We will always love you and miss you forever. RIP.

JOCKEYING FOR POSITION

2009-06-24T15:00:00.023-04:00

JOCKEYING FOR POSITION

It's been a very interesting 24 hours in the NBA. Teams are making moves and jockeying for position to get in the first five spots of this race we call the NBA draft. It is a frantic race to the finish with a little more than 24 hours left until teams are on the clock. The Minnesota Timberwolves have already made news by trading former Villanova star Randy Foye and Mike Miller to the Wizards for Etan Thomas, Darius Songalia, Oleksiy Pecherov and most importantly the #5 pick. Minnesota now has the 5th, 6th, 18th and 28th pick all in the first round. That is a lot of leverage and the Wolves are in love with Ricky Rubio as well as Hasheem Thabeet. Both may be gone by the time the Wolves pick at 5, but the wolves could trade a few of those picks and try to move up to #2. 24 hours is a lot of time. I guarantee that the Wolves will do something.

DIME A DOZEN

All I want to know is what is really up with this situation? Rajon Rondo's name has come up more than Bret Favre's over the past few days. Despite Danny Ainge's attempt to come on television and quell the situation I am not fooled. Something is going on in that locker room and it's serious. Why would the Celtics be even mentioning one of the up-and-coming point guards in the league being on the trading blocks? Rondo has already helped the Celtics win a ring and was a KG away from possibly bringing them back. The "KID" gets triple doubles like Jason Kidd and is one of the best rebounding point guards I've ever seen since...... well Jason Kidd. This has to be a joke right? I think not. Rumor has it that Rondo is not a great teammate in the locker room and has a huge ego. Doc Rivers is having problems reeling the kid in and if that is the case, then the Celtics are not kidding. Ray Allen is a great shooter at 6-5, Kevin Garnett is a defensive force, Paul Pierce is one of the most crafty scoring veterans in the league. But Rondo, with all his bravado, ability and athleticism is a 6-1 point guard. Sorry to say, he is replaceable. Point guards come a dime a dozen. If you need evidence look at this year's draft.

DECISIONS

It seems like all the pieces are starting to fall into place with the first three picks of the draft if the positions stay as they are now. Blake Griffin will go #1 to the Clippers, Hasheem Thabeet #2 to the Grizzlies, and Ricky Rubio #3 to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Now is when things get interesting. The Sacramento Kings own the #4 pick and are in real need of a point guard to run the show. Most people have the Kings leaning towards the freshman phenom Tyreke Evans. But I'm not sure about this pick. The Kings are the worst team in the league. Their best players are Kevin Martin and the young talent out of Rider, Jason Thompson. Not sure if Evans, who is a combo guard, is a good fit here. Although I love Curry, I would go with Flynn. He can start from day 1 and will bring some fire to a organization that is in desperate need of some flair. Sacramento is one of the most boring cities in the NBA. Ask any veteran for his top 5 least favorite cities and I bet you Sacramento will be in there. Go with Flynn. His smile and energy can light up a gym.

NO NEW YORK, NO NEW YORK, NOOOOOO!

Since Celevision resides in the New York metropolitan area and the draft is taking place at Madison Square Garden, we have to talk a little New York Knicks. A lot of the Celevision fans are Knicks fans. So who are you going to end up with? The Knicks have been notorious for bad draft picks for a long time now. And I have to say that they may be at it again. The Knicks, with the #8 pick are rumored to now be leaning towards Jrue Holiday from UCLA. Not sure if he is ready for the bright lights of New York City. He didn't perform that well out in Hollywood. He is 6-4, 200 lbs, but this is New York City, home of the point guard and you have to have some major game to get it done here. If Steph Curry is still on the board the Knicks will go with him. But he'll be gone says Celevision and that's a fact. They still have a chance at picking the exciting but erratic Brandon Jennings. I'd take him over the flavorless Holiday. Jennings is the type of point guard New York City likes. At least he'd throw a no look pass and get me on the train to the Garden.

SLOW DOWN YOUNG BUCK

Most #1 picks ooze confidence and they should. Being selected #1 in the NBA draft means you're the best available player in the World! That means something. What it doesn't mean is that you can change things for the Clippers. If the Clippers drafted God, the world would end tomorrow! Nothing can change the fate of this cursed franchise, yes I said it. I don't care how confident Blake feels about turning around the franchise, it won't happen. The Clippers have messed up every big time draft pick they've ever had. Quentin Richardson, Darius Miles, Shaun Livingston, Terry Dehere, Bo Kimble, Danny Ferry. Most times after a player leaves the franchise he's never the same, meaning he becomes an even worse player. As if he can't get the Clipper stench off of him. The only guy I can ever remember leaving there and being a factor somewhere else is Lamar Odom. I hear you Blake, I know your supposed to say the right things. But in my opinion, Griffin will be changing that tune like a DJ soon enough.

STILL CAN MOVE

Shaq is on the move again as last night while we all slept he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Shaq who avg. 17.8 points, 8.4 rpg and shot 60.9% from the field this season can still be a potent force on offense. The Diesel is still a very adept passer and teamed with Lebron James gives the Cavaliers two distributers that can pick your team apart. This is a good move for the Cavs as they aren't giving up much in Sasha Pavlovic the non-existent Ben Wallce and the 46th over pick which wouldn't really land them much. The question is how much can Shaq give the Cavs on the defensive end? Can he guard in the pick-and-roll? Obviously they have acquired him so they can get past Orlando and I think that now this makes the Cavs the favorite in the eastern conference.

CELEVISION TOP FIVE WORST DRAFT PICKS EVER

#1 SAM BOWIE 1984 PORTLAND TRAIBLAZERS

First of all look at the shorts on this guy. People always say you go with size but obviously he didn't with the shorts. Ok, so that's how the shorts looked back then. But I remember a guy named Michael Jordan being in this draft as well as Charles Barkley. Trailblazer fans will never forgive management for this. Not sure I or Sam Bowie will ever either.

#2 KWAME BROWN 2002 WASHINGTON WIZARDS

They selected him with the #1 pick that year. Brown hasn't even come close to resembling a player in his career. He's been on three teams in the NBA and has yet to play to his potential. And now some are beginning to question what that even is. The worst part is that the greatest player to ever play the game was responsible for the pick. That guy is Michael Jordan. He, on the management side, has never seemed to recover either.

#3 Darko Milicic 2003 Detroit

He was dubbed the best thing out of Europe since Tony Kucoc. Boy were we all hoodwinked. Hasn't developed into even a player that can come in and contribute off the bench. Milicic was the start of the decline of the effective European player. For a few years the players out of Europe were hot. NBA execs were saying that they understood the game better than our home grown boys. They were saying the the league was going to change. Milicic was the red flag for our mass European flirtation. And now everyone is singing the right song again.

#4 MICHAEL OLOWOKANDI 1998 Clippers

Maybe the worst.......no, it is the worst #1 draft pick ever. First and foremost the kid went to Pacific University, a basketball powerhouse by no means. But hey, what did we expect from the Clippers? He even had a nickname, "The Kandy Man." How could you? This is another mistake by one of the most mistake prone franchises in sports. In the NBA they always talk about size. The great question in life is "Does size matter?" Obviously for the Kandi man and the Clippers it didn't. He is now out of the league.

Leon Smith, 1999 San Antonio Spurs

So you're wondering who this is? Well let me tell you. This is the guy who was drafted directly before me. I was so desperate to get into the 1st round of the 1999 NBA draft as it offered security, a minimum 3 year deal and time to develop in the NBA. It would never be. The Spurs would draft Leon Smith and I would be the 30th pick, 1st pick of the second round. Much less longevity on the contract and more importantly much less money! Leon Smith would never suit up that year as he was traded to the Mavericks on draft day and released soon after. Before being drafted, Smith had been committed to a psychiatric ward a month earlier for throwing a rock through a car window and swallowing about 250 aspirin tablets. The Spurs must have really not liked my game. Damn!

2009 NBA DRAFT

2009-06-23T08:05:00.047-04:00

With the NBA draft looming, it's time to discuss some of the more talented prospects of this year's crop. There are a few guys that can help some of these NBA teams immediately. But, I must say this year's draft is one of the weaker drafts in my memory. Not an overabundance of talent here this year and many teams may be looking to make some trades to prepare for drafts in the future. With that said here we go.

Blake Griffin

First of all, you have to be a stud to have a picture like this. You dunk backwards, hang on the rim and point? Probably the most hip picture of the year. The Kid has the entire package. He has a decent face up, he can post up and handle the ball off the dribble. He is an outstanding athlete with great hands and incredible footwork. The kid has a work ethic that is unmatched and I feel as most he will be a star from Day 1 as he averaged 28.5 point per game this past year. The only issue is......he's going to the Clippers. The Clippers are the graveyard of the NBA. It's so easy to become a nobody when being drafted by the Clippers. They are not only the worst franchise in NBA history, but maybe the worst franchise in sports history. This is the only thing that worries me about Griffin. The most difficult thing he may encounter in his NBA career is trying to get past the bouncer at the front door of any club in Los Angeles. Once they find out he's a Clipper, he might as well turn around and go home.

HASHEEM THABEET

Defensively he will impact the NBA the day he arrives. His is an eraser, a deleter, a shot blocking machine. He averaged 4.2 blocked shots per game finishing 2nd in the country. He has improved with his ability to catch and finish with authority in the paint. He has improved his footwork. But Thabeet, who only begin playing basketball at 15 years old, has a long way to go on the offensive end. He is mechanical with the basketball and may not be an offensive threat in the post immediately. He also disappeared in a few Big East Conference games this year when I covered him. But, the kid is a 7ft. 4 inches tall and all the deficiencies in the world can't outweigh that. The Memphis Grizzlies may be looking to take him with the 2nd pick even though he cancelled a workout with them citing a shoulder injury.

Ricky Rubio

The dude's basketball IQ is off the charts. He has already played professional ball in Europe and understands how to play the team game. He is probably the best passer in the draft and has played in the Olympics so he wouldn't be in awe of NBA competition. Was a defensive force in those same Olympics picking the pockets of a few NBA stars. There is still a possibility he may be the #2 pick, but it is slim chance as Rubio has voiced that he doesn't want to play in Memphis. Hell, who does Ricky? All joke's aside, Rubio's ability to run a team and adjust to his teammates are positives for him. But he does has a few negatives. His strength, for one must improve. This is not the Euroleague and guys are much bigger and faster here in the States. Those touch fouls on the perimeter will not be called here. The second negative is that Rubio has had problems getting out of his contract with his Spanish team DKV Jovenaut and that may scare some NBA teams away. Rubio may decide to stay in Spain and finish his contract out as coming to the NBA he may lose lots of money. The final negative are the moves that his management team have made. Rubio refused to work out for Memphis and didn't work out for Sacramento, who has #4 pick, last week because of illness they say. This may cause him to slip in the draft. Sources say that Rubio did work out yesterday for Sacramento but was alone, which didn't allow him to be seen in competition with other fellow draft prospects.

Stephen Curry

If you're looking for a weakness on offense, save yourself the trouble because the kid has none. He is a tremendous shooter just like his dad was. His dad had the purest form I ever saw. His son is not far off. He is elusive off the dribble and his ability to move without the ball and use screens is the most refreshing thing I have seen in basketball in a long time. Never seems to get rattled on the court and showed us that he is a very underrated passer. On defense however, is where he can get murdered. His is very frail and may get abused down on the block. Obviously he has to get stronger but he has a tremendous upside. Don't be surprised if the kid goes as high as #3 in the draft to Oklahoma City. But likely will land at #6 to the Timberwolves. Again, on offense Curry is complete. The only other thing that he may need to add to his game is a mustache.

James Harden

I don't know a lot about Harden as he plays in the PAC-10 and I am a east coast guy. But I do know he was the Conference Player of The Year and is one of the most complete players in the draft. Harden is not flashy at all, but can do just about everything. He is respected for his efficiency and his ability to score the basketball. He can shoot it, create his own shot and already has an NBA body at 6-5, 220 lbs. He is a really safe pick in this NBA draft. You know what you are getting. Look for him to be gone in the first five picks. No way he slips past the 7th or 8th pick.

Tyreke Evans

The dude's handle is sick. He's from Chester, Pennsylvania, one of the lesser known hoods in America, and is tough. Not trying to be a hater, but for some reason I've never liked his game. He can get to the basket with the best of them. Very strong and physical guard at 6-5, 22o pounds. Can really be a problem for smaller guards. Rumor has it he assassinated Stephen Curry and Johnny Flynn in one-on-one drills at a Sacramento Kings workout. But Evans loves to keep the ball in his hands and seems to over-dribble sometimes. Not a great shooter yet and would need to improve that to become a good NBA point guard. But the physical tools are there. Sacramento is in real need of a point guard and being that Rubio didn't make the workout, they may take Evans at #4. Strong possibility.

Johnny Flynn

Hands down my favorite player in this year's NBA draft and the one I am most familiar with. Has probably helped himself more than any player in the NBA draft during his workouts for different teams. Flynn is a born leader and very charismatic. Always seems to enjoy playing and competes with the best of them. Very athletic and explosive and if you don't believe me then watch this clip here. Flynn has deep range from beyond the arc and is very explosive off the dribble. Can also play a lot of minutes as he averaged 37.3 mpg for Syracuse last year while playing 67 minutes in the classic six overtime game vs. UCONN that I saw in person while calling on the radio. The only drawback for Flynn may be his size at 6-foot which may be generous. But his heart and his athletic ability may make up for his lack of extra inches. The Kings really like Flynn and may draft him as high as #4 if they don't take Evans. Flynn is working out today for the NJ Nets and could go there at #11 pick as well or maybe even #10 to the Bucks who also need a point guard.

Brandon Jennings

First and foremost I have the utmost respect for any young player that respects the past and goes with the old school high top fade! The kid must have heart to pull that one off. He's also a trailblazer becoming the first kid to leave high school and go over to play professionally in Europe. His season was by far not a success. But none of that matters as being a former Euroleague player I understand how crazy it can be for an American player across the waters. Jennings may have the most foot speed of any player in the NBA draft. Coast to coast he is a blur and is phenomenal in the open court with the basketball. With that said, his decision making and outside shooting is questionable as well as his defense. Out of all the point guards he may have the most natural talents and abilities, but in the NBA that is only one side of the coin. A very difficult prospect to decipher. The Knicks like him, and the Bucks could use him, but with Curry, Flynn, Rubio, Ty Lawson, Jeff Teague all in the draft I wouldn't be surprised if he slipped out of the lottery. And yet, I would be surprised if he went in the top 5 picks. That is how much of an enigma he is.

Gerald Henderson, Earl Clark and Terrence Williams

It's weird but these three guys are all the same player but in some areas very different. Henderson is probably the best shooter out of the bunch. Clark, has the most upside as he is 6-10 and can do a little bit of everything. Williams, I would say is the most NBA ready, most well rounded and the toughest out of the bunch. I've seen Williams affect a lot of Big East basketball games without even scoring the basketball. I think he would be the most mentally ready to go in and contribute right away. Clark I feel may end up the best player out of these three. Reminds me of Lamar Odom with more speed off the dribble, but Clark can sometimes get punked into shooting jump shots and disappear for long stretches. Henderson, for some reason reminds me of a poor man's Kobe Bryant. He can hit acrobatic shots, fadeaways and has a nice mid-range pull up game. Not sure about how much "dog" he has in him though. Williams and Henderson, rumor has it, are fighting to be picked at the 12th slot by Charlotte. Right now Williams is in the lead.

Dejuan Blair

The biggest beast in the draft. This guy is a straight bully. One of the best offensive rebounders I've ever seen. They say he's undersized, they wonder if he can score in the NBA. Let me tell you this, Blair will get it done. Outside of Johnny Flynn I don't know if there is anyone else in the draft that can match his passion when playing. If you don't think he can score against bigger guys you want want to check out this box score which shows what he did to Hasheem Thabeet the best shot blocker in the draft. Don't forget to check out what Thabeet did not do that game. Blair is only 6-7 but has the wing span of a 7-2 player. Think of a better, nastier, more athletic Glen Big Baby Davis who plays for the Celtics. Also, Blair has lost about 15 lbs since the season, which makes him even more scary. He could be the lowest drafted rookie of the year ever.

MOST UNDERRATED PLAYER IN THE DRAFT

Sam Young. He's what you call an athletic freak. I have him here because I have seen him abuse people for two years in the Big East Conference, the best conference in college basketball. Night in and night out this guy showed up and scored the basketball. He is physical and has an NBA ready body. I really feel he can show up, play right away and be a factor on any team in the NBA. Don't be surprised if this dude is the surprise player of the draft. By the way, he has the most deceiving pump fake I ever seen in basketball. Young has the look of a grown man. I haven't seen anyone, outside of Greg Oden, look like a 40 year old man playing college ball.

MOST OVERRATED PLAYER IN THE DRAFT

Jrue Holiday. Not really impressive to me. Not truly a point guard. Not really a two guard. More of a tweener, the worst label you can get in the NBA. Hasn't performed well in many workouts with NBA teams and lacks confidence sometimes. A lack of confidence is not something you don't want to carry with you to the NBA. The sharks will be in the water waiting to feed on you.

BEST SHOOTER IN DRAFT

Stephen Curry. Dad's name is Del Curry. Enough said.

BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER IN DRAFT

Terrence Williams. He could guard p0sitions 1 through 4 in college. In the NBA I think he can guard the point, shooting guard and small forward positions. If you're in a bind you can put him in and let him attempt to guard the power forward, that's how much heart this kid has. Brings intensity every night. He is afraid of nothing. Outside of Hasheem Thabeet, no player will be more valuable on the defensive end.

MAKING MOVES

2009-06-17T07:26:00.021-04:00

NEXT IN LINE

To all my baseball fans, you better read up on this guy. Hell, even if you're not a big baseball fan, you need to read up on this guy. Bryce Harper is next in line. Dubbed "The Chose One" by Sports Illustrated Harper is about to break new ground in the baseball world. At 6'3 205 pounds the kid is a monster. He hit a 570 ft home run at Tropicana Field, he throws a 96 mph fastball and the kid is only 16 years old. Harper attends Las Vegas High School in Las Vegas, Nevada. The City of Sin is known for its high priced gambling, but this kid is the farthest thing from a gamble. This kid is more like a sure bet. The odds of his success are almost guaranteed. Harper is said to be the biggest high school sports prodigy since Lebron James. And he is about to make a splash that maybe even bigger than the King.

MAJOR LEAGUE THINKING

To say Harper's talent is impressive would be the biggest understatement of the year. That in itself is not what is making headlines. Harper's decision to leave high school after his sophomore year is. Harper and his parents have decided that he will get his GED so he can graduate high school early, then enroll at The College of Southern Nevada a community college in the area. Before we all judge let's talk some numbers here. Harper is hitting .626, with 14 home runs, 55 RBI's and 36 steals this past year all with pitchers barely pitching to him. The kid has a 3.5 GPA, does community service and attends religious classes every morning before school. His talent is being compared to Alex Rodriguez's and Ken Griffey Jr.'s but the catch is this: His talent as a sophomore is being compared to their talents when they were seniors! Scouts are saying that if the kid is eligible for the draft in 2010 he may be the #1 pick. You're talking about a contract above $20 Million. The question is, would you let your kid do it? Please respond honestly.

REAL ANSWERS

We all know about the money. But what about the lifestyle for the kid? Does that ever come into question? I always think about the childhood stars. Are the kids growing up too fast? What about when it's finally over? One would also have to think about the quality of life for a 17 year old kid now on the road in the minor leagues with grown men. Hotels, road trips, buses and all kind of late night corruption may come to mind. But some answers have surprised me. Reco Owens, my friend and former wide receiver at Duke University who is now a Financial Analyst for the Goldenberg Group had an interesting perspective. He said, "You go to college to create opportunites for yourself... $20 Million buys a lot of opportunities." I thought that was a great point. We have so many people who say go to high school and get a diploma so you can have a good job. What better job than to play baseball and become a multi-millionaire before 18 years old? But not everyone was so quick to say go and get the money. Corey Smith, who played at the same high school I graduated from (Piscataway High) and was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the first round in 2000 had a difference in opinion. "Playing in the minor leagues ain't that easy. He's going to be a first round pick regardless if he goes to junior college or if he waits and graduates high school. There's a certain maturity level that you have to reach once you get into this game. Once you get to the professional level the game is very humbling." This was coming from a guy who was one of the top five baseball players nationally back when he graduated high school in 2000. But everyone had a different take. I spoke to Dr. Emmett Gill, who is a professor over at Rutgers University near my home. I know that he loves sports, but that also he is a proponent of higher education. His answer surprised me. "I believe with professional sports, especially baseball, kids should get it while the getting is good. Baseball players are prone to physical setbacks and what I call the politics of baseball. Why go to college and let a university profit when your family can prosper?"

So what if the kids stays in high school and gets hurt. Then what? It's a good question. But Curtis Bynes' answer, a former Police Officer and high school basketball coach in Piscataway, New Jersey was the best. "If a parent says that they wouldn't let their kid do it, then their kid must be a scrub. It's easy to say no when you know it's not an option for your kid. How many of us if we had an option to make $20 Million wouldn't take it?" Real answers from real people.

IT'S BEEN NICE

Epiphanny Prince is the real deal. Prince announced yesterday that she would be skipping her senior season at Rutgers to play ball professionally overseas in Europe. Prince would only be the 2nd woman athlete to ever make this move. Let me tell you something, this girl has real game. I don't live too far from the Rutgers campus and have played pick up basketball with them in the summer many times. She put a move on me one time, I had to go to the sideline and stretch out a little more. She can shake and bake off the dribble with the best of them. A lot of times when I play summer pick up with the Rutgers women I go about 70% because I am stronger than them. When I was guarding "Piph" I had to play for real. She was voted a 3rd Team All American for the past two years at Rutgers. And don't get it twisted, you can make big money over in Europe. There are many players that have played in the WNBA that have made over $400,000 per year over there. Prince may not start out that high, but there is no doubt she can get there.

SAY WHAT?

So you got to explain this one to me. I'm not sure if I am understanding the justice system. And in no way shape or form am I sticking up for Mike Vick because what he did was wrong. But Vick after his dog fighting days, was sentenced to 23 months in prison. That is a little under two years. Then yesterday online I read that Donte Stallworth, the Cleveland Browns wide receiver gets 30 days for DUI manslaughter! The victims' family is getting a substantial amount of money in which the terms were unreleased. Stallworth on the other hand will be released in no time.

CONFESSION SESSION

So everyone I see always wants to bring up the past. They say "Hey Celestand why don't you talk about the time when Vince Carter crossed you over?" When I was coaching my AAU team that's all my players ever wanted to talk about. Well I don't have no problem digging it up for you guys. No sweat. You see no one is immune on CELEVISION. Not even myself. I got crossed by one of the greats. So here it is and remember I was going for the steal! If you can't laugh at yourself you shouldn't laugh at anyone. Oh yeah, my wife was at that game, which made it even worse.

MAILED IT IN

2009-06-15T07:34:00.020-04:00

GOING BACK TO CALI, I DON'T THINK SO

LL Cool J made that line famous. Now it applies to the Orlando Magic and Dwight Howard. There will be no more extension of these finals. Is it a hard pill to swallow for the Orlando Magic? Yes. And here's why. How easy could this have been a 3-1 finals lead for the Orlando Magic going into yesterday's game? Besides the first game of the series and yesterday the Magic were in every game. They should've won Game 2 on the alley- oop layup miss by Courtney Lee. They should've won Game 4 but instead, Howard missed two freethrows, Turkoglu missed two more and then Fisher nails the 3 point shot to force overtime. So close, but yet so far. The Magic will be back and every team in their quest for a championship usually experiences heartache. They have a few things to address, but there's a possibility the confetti could be blue and white in the years to come. Orlando won't be going back to Cali this year, but the championship trophy will be.

RESPECT

Not sure if it is possible to say something bad about Phil Jackson. He now has passed the great Red Auerbach with 10 championship rings as a coach. I never met Coach Auerbach, but I did play for Phil Jackson. I think Derek Fisher said it best yesterday when he said "He allows you to be yourself." I don't ever remember him telling me not to shoot. I don't ever remember him telling me hot to play my game. I was only there for a short time with the Lakers, and I didn't play a lot, but I never remember worrying about how I was going to play for him. He allowed you to learn on your own. Probably the best coach I ever had and he played me the least of any coach I ever had. And with that said he never made me feel any less important than Kobe Bryant or Shaquille O'Neal. The dude is the best, even if we had to do Yoga and he beat a war drum during practice sometimes.

FOUR ME?

Kobe Bryant has now won his fourth championship ring. I know there are many Kobe haters out there. I understand that many people just hate the great. But I have to admit that I was happy for him. I have always respected the guys work ethic. I saw it first hand. The guy almost beat me in a game of horse with his left hand, but that story is for another day. I am happy for him for all he has gone through. The problems with Shaq, that I must say weren't always his fault, the Colorado situation, the trade talks, the "can't win without Shaq" talks. Some say Kobe was a bad person, I never saw that. I saw a person that was so driven to win he didn't dare hang out late. I saw a person who was so driven to win he didn't even drink alcohol. I saw a person so driven to win that when he broke his wrist in 1999 he worked on his left hand so much he shot a lefty jumper in a real game. I saw a guy that was the hardest worker in practice that I had ever seen and if you didn't work hard, he didn't respect you. I never went to his house, never rode in his car, never had dinner with Kobe. None of that mattered, what mattered is at work he was the greatest co-worker I ever had.

STRENGTH

Too many times outsiders don't really understand how great it is to win a championship. How when the struggle of a year finally culminates and you are standing on that platform taking it all in it is true paradise. People don't understand how these athletes really struggle. Too many of them are labeled as pompous spoiled brats. Not always true. This Laker team has seen much tragedy off the court and pushed through. Derek Fisher almost lost his daughter a few years ago to a rare form of eye cancer and yet he fought through to become a champion. Lamar Odom lost his infant son that suffocated in his sleep and yet he fought through to become a champion. Trevor Ariza lost his little brother who fell from a balcony when he was young and yet he still has become a champion. Kobe Bryant almost lost his career amid rape allegations back in 2003 and yet he fought through to become a champion. This is all on one team. We always see the finished product, but so much more struggle goes on behind the scenes, if we only all but knew.

ORLANDO MAILMEN

Ok, I had to do this. It's not right, but it had to be said The Magic have a new name because they gave up last night. They mailed this one in early. Now at home you may not understand this. Why would a team not give the effort in a close out game? Let me explain. You are already down 3-1. You know as a team that there is no way you can beat Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers three games in a row, with two of them being on the road. It would also be a cross country trip for the Magic if they headed to LA and then right back after they got their backsides handed to them. So they're thinking why even make the trip? Why go through the hotels, the planes, the practice, the leaving the family. Doesn't make much sense. So what do they do? Hell, let's just mail it in. It's easier, it's quicker and it's less painful. Jemele Hill a great writer for ESPN had this on her twitter page, "Did Dwight Howard use Fed Ex or UPS to mail in tonight's performance? And why didn't he cover himself in bubble wrap?" That was classic!

THE GREAT DEBATES

Answer: Undecided

People are funny. Lots of people were saying that Lebron was better than Kobe. Even the great Jerry West said that Lebron had passed Kobe. I wake up this morning and now everyone is saying Kobe is hands down the greatest in the game today. Not sure I can jump on this bandwagon. Lebron is an awesome player, awesome athlete. In a one on one game in my opinion Lebron would win, but basketball is a team game so that means nothing. Kobe has a new championship ring, but if you put Lebron on the Lakers would he have not won a championship this year? I think most definitely. Not sure if I can chose as of yet. But I love Stan Van Gundy's answer on this one, "You want to compare the two of them, what I always say is 'You pick first, I'll take second pick and I'll be happy as hell.' Those guys are great great players."

Answer: Not yet

That's not a slight to Kobe, but just a compliment to Jordan. Jordan was that great and it's hard for me to say Kobe is better. But I hate when people say we can't even have that argument. It is a discussion and it is a valid discussion. What keeps MJ on top right now is that he won 6 rings. And probably should have won more if he didn't retire to go play baseball for awhile. It's conceivable that Jordan could've been in the Bill Russell talk of rings if Jerry Krause wouldn't have broken up the bulls. Jordan also still has the edge because I have to say that his teams were a little less talented than Kobe's championship teams. Mike had Pippen, Rodman, Cartwright, Paxon. Think about Kobe's teams, Shaq, Robert Horry, Fisher, Rick Fox, Glen Rice, Gasol, Odom, Ariza, Bynum. But still, we have to have this conversation. The man scored 81 pts in a game!

Answer: Phil Jackson

The reason why I say this is because Phil Jackson did it with two different teams. He was able to lead the Bulls to six championships and now the Lakers to four. He may not be done. Red Auerbach did it all with the Celtics. Phil also had to make two of the greatest scorers in the history of the game conform to his style. He did that. He also took two of the greatest players ever to play the game in Kobe and Shaq and made them co-exist when they weren't the fondest of each other. His body of work is more diverse. Phil is not only the best coach in basketball. He may be the best coach ever in any sport outside of John Wooden from UCLA.

SHAQ TO THE CAVS? ANSWER: NO

I love Shaq. He was my favorite player growing up. Shaq has been known to deliver championships to franchises. He did it in Los Angeles, he did it in Miami. He could probably do it in Cleveland if he goes there in this trade. But the question is who would you be giving up? It would be a short term thing. The Cavs probably then would be favorite to win the Eastern Conference and maybe even the NBA title. But Shaq is 37 years old. Now much left in the tank even though he was very impressive this year and seemed to have found the fountain of youth. But I'm not sure about this one. It's like taking a shortcut through the grass in your brand new white sneakers. You'll get there faster, but you'll probably mess up your shoes as a result. Besides Shaq is the Terell Owens of the NBA.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR CELEVISION?

Don't worry ladies and gentlemen, CELEVISION will continue. We have a few more basketball topics like summer league and the NBA draft coming up. But hey, we're not going to be one dimensional here. We also will get rolling during football season, doing a little NFL and college football as well. We will also be covering college basketball next year. Stay tuned and thank you for being a part of CELEVISION. We are getting a tremendous following!!!

STUPIDNESS

2009-06-12T09:58:00.029-04:00

STUPIDNESS
Good luck on looking that word up. It's called stupidness. You won't find it in the dictionary. But here's my definition: An act of stupidity. Dumbness in it's rarest form. Hedo Turkoglu said it best when referring to the loss, "We had it and it kind of slipped away because of our stupidness." I agree Hedo. A lot of stupid things happened, like Orlando turning the ball over 17 times or Mickeal Pietrus who has done a solid job guarding Kobe not putting his hands up to contest a Black Mamba jump shot. Not to mention letting Derek Fisher get off a clean three to tie the game. And what would really be stupid is if Orlando fans actually think that the Magic still have a chance. Turn off your televisions. Don't read Celevision anymore. Don't torture yourselves. Get ready to follow the Miami Dolphins as they may be entertaining this year. Coming back won't happen. This series is o-v-e-r. You don't have to be too smart to spell or understand that. But then again if your an Orlando Magic true fan you've been engulfed in stupidness anyway.

FISHER PRICE
What are you thinking? You can't toy around with Derek Fisher! You can't be stupid enough to not guard Derek Fisher from beyond the arc right? Wrong. Down three, D-Fish is allowed to waltz right on in and drain a shot he's been hitting for years. This is a guy who's made 40 three point shots in his NBA Finals career, trailing only Robert "Big Shot Bob" Horry and Michael "His Airness" Jordan. How could you? How dare you? But maybe I do understand. When I first joined the Lakers back in 1999, I was confident that I could outplay Fisher. He was too short, not quick enough and I felt that at some point I could take his position. Everyday he would beat me up in practice. Make shots that I couldn't believe and I'd be on the bench watching him perform. Now here I am ten years later watching him still perform. I'm writing a blog while he's still hitting clutch threes. Guess we all underestimated him huh?

YOU DO THE HOKEY POKEY
I am still not understanding the mindset here. Rafer Alston has helped lead your Orlando Magic team to the NBA Finals. The man has 20 points in Game 3 and is responsible for you winning the ball game. He comes out on fire in the first quarter in Game 4. And then in the crucial part of the game Rafer "Skip to My Lou" Alston doesn't see the floor at all. Hmmmm. Not sure what's going on here but it has to be something behind the scenes. Jameer Nelson made a few nice plays but in no shape or form is he in condition or even close to 100% healthy in these finals. What is Van Gundy thinking? How can you disrespect Alston this way? I think that this move may have lost the Magic the series. Hey Van Gundy, word to the wise, make up your mind. Either Alston is in or he's out, this ain't the damn hokey pokey!

THE RZA
Now if you don't know who the RZA is shame on you as a Hip Hop head, but let me educate you. The RZA was one of the most underrated members of the Wu-Tang Clan, the greatest rap hip hop group ever in my opinion. Everyone talks about Method Man, Old Dirty Bastard, Raekwon "The Chef", but we tend to forget about the RZA one of the most important parts of the group. He made the beats, kept everything together. This is my new name for Trevor Ariza. He's is now known as "The RZA". He goes for 16 pts last night on 3-4 from downtown. The guy is a force with his ability to "produce" just like the RZA was the producer for the Wu-Tang Clan. The RZA, by far, wasn't the best rapper in the group but he got the dirty work done and without him the Wu-Tang Clan doesn't go down in history as the greatest rap group. I think when we look back on this series years from now we will realize that Trevor Ariza was an integral part. Ariza is "The RZA" and The RZA is he.

FIVE BIGGEST CHOKE JOBS IN NBA HISTORY

Since I feel like last night the Orlando Magic just gave the game away I had to think about some of the greatest choke moments in the NBA. Here are a few that I remember. If you know of anymore please feel free to comment and we can add some more.

It pains me to write this, but I remember this so vividly. I was a New York Knick Fan growing up and I will never get over this one. He scored 8 pts in 11 seconds. The Knicks had the game won. There was no reason to believe it wouldn't happen. You could've turned off your televisions. I wish I would have. Because I see this moment in my dreams. And then he did it. He looked over at Spike Lee and gave him the choke sign. It will forever make me hate Reggie Miller.

Couldn't find a picture of Charles Smith in a Knicks jersey but hey it doesn't matter. I will never forget all the layups he missed against the Chicago Bulls during that one fretful game back in 1993. It crushed me. He had so many chances! You mean he couldn't have made one? He couldn't have drawn a foul. Why? As you can see, there is a pattern coming here.

Let's get this straight. I loved John Starks. I'd give him my left arm if I had to, not my right, because that's my shooting hand. The guy had heart, the guy left it all on the court. The guy never gave up. But he should've given up shooting in Game 7 of the 1995 NBA Finals when he went 2-18 from the field. He just kept shooting and shooting. It was classic John Starks, but I will never forgive him. I remember going to school and getting killed by all the Knick haters. Starks is known for "the dunk" when he hammered it down on Pippen and Jordan, but the 2-18 night, at least in my mind erased that great accomplishment.

Nick Anderson was usually a reliable free throw shooter at 70%. But in the 1994-95 NBA Finals vs. the defending champion Houston Rockets Mr. Anderson missed 4 consecutive free throws that could have sealed the game for Orlando. Kenny "The Jet" Smith then hit a 3 pointer that sent the game to overtime where Orlando would lose. They ended up getting swept in the series and Big Shaq left for Los Angeles shortly after. Who knows how things would have changed had Anderson made those free throws. The nightmare for the Orlando magic fans unfortunately was relived last night.

I remember this one vividly because I was on the bench during the game. This was the 2000 Western Conference Finals Game 7 when I was a Laker and we were playing the Portland Trailblazers. We were down 18 pts in the 3rd. At the beginning of the 4th quarter we were down 15. Portland was making everything. I remember sitting on the bench thinking "Wow, I don't even have a plane ticket home yet. I got to pack tomorrow. How am I going to get my car back to Jersey?" There was no way I thought we would come back. Then Portland started getting real tight. Rasheed Wallace started missing layups. Pippen couldn't make a shot, they turned the ball over every other possession. History was made. Thanks Portland, because without you I would've never won a championship ring. We also wouldn't have that amazing commerical where Kobe crosses over Pippen and throws the lob to Shaq!

NOT YET

2009-06-10T07:27:00.022-04:00

Pietrus Brothers

Let's all hold our horses. The Orlando Magic are not yet ready for their demise. Many of us had started to get the broom ready, but thanks to Mickeal Pietrus the Magic are going to be hanging around for a little while longer. The Magic had five guys in double figures with Pietrus scoring 18 points (10 in the 4th quarter). Even more important, the follow up tap dunk and the ability to steal the ball from Kobe Bryant in the 4th quarter down the stretch. I have always liked Pietrus' game since I played against him back in France in 2002. Rumor has it, his brother, Florent Pietrus has arrived in town from Valencia, Spain to watch the rest of the Finals. The other Pietrus plays professionally in Europe and is a splitting image of his brother. Maybe they can do a little switch job when Mickael gets tired, because he's going to need all the energy he can come Game 4. When they play on Thursday the only other person in the arena that can guard Kobe besides Pietrus may be the other Pietrus sitting in the stands. And that's a fact Jack. Don't get it twisted, Florent Pietrus can fly too!

SKIP TO MY LOOOOUUUU!!!

You see that when this guy is confident he can be a force. He has to be Skip To My Lou, the guy that would shake guys to the floor. Sometimes I think Skip is trying so hard to leave his street ball days behind that he overcompensates and becomes too much of a "run your offense" type of guy. Alston is not super quick but he is very crafty off the dribble, something he learned at the Rucker and growing up in Queens. This guy needs to get loose a little bit. Forget what Van Gundy was saying about staying under control and all that nonsense. We want some shake a bake, a no look pass and that spin move you put on Fisher last night. I jumped out of my bed last night after that move. I yelled "Rafer Alston has left the building! This guy is Skip to My Loooouuuuuu!!!"

WHAT MORE CAN THEY DO?

How good are the Los Angeles Lakers? I noticed this even in a loss. The Orlando Magic were on fire yesterday. They set an NBA Finals record shooting 62.5% for the game. They have five guys who score 18 or more points and they barely squeak away with a win over the Lakeshow by four points. Not sure if that is a good sign for the Orlando Magic. The Magic couldn't play much better than they did yesterday. The Lakers have too many pieces. All of the Lakers seem to be playing well. Odom is alive, Fisher has found his shot, Farmar played well yesterday. What if Andrew Bynum decides to awaken from his slumber? Even more scary for the Magic.

I HAVE SINNED

What was I thinking? I was questioning a true playoff performer. I was questioning a guy who has three rings. Because I am a man, I can admit I was wrong. A few blogs ago I questioned why Coach Jackson was playing Fish so many minutes. But I must have forgot how much of a warrior this dude is. I must have forgot that the 34 year old veteran has been around the block and back. I must have forgot his fire, intensity and internal fortitude. One game back in 1999, I remember Fisher was struggling from the field. He had been in a slump for a few weeks. After the game, Phil finishes talking to us. I get dressed and go out to the arena and there Fish is shooting jumpers in his jersey, on the court in front of fans who hadn't left the arena yet. Some were mocking him, shouting negative things. Fish, had a few tears in his eye, but shot jumper after jumper after jumper. This was after a NBA game, right on the court!! The next game he came out and he was on fire. What a jerk I am for thinking he wouldn't produce in these Finals. Forgive me D-Fish for I have sinned.

UNKOBELIKE

It was weird not seeing Kobe get it done down the stretch last night. We have come so accustomed to seeing him perform in those closing moments. What was even more alarming is the fact that he went 4-9 from the free throw line. Kobe hates when he misses free throws. I remember him going 22-23 from the line in an AAU game when I played against him way back in 1995. I remember him cursing out loud when he missed that one free throw. He let Pietrus get the best of him down the stretch last night and even seemed to be letting Courtney Lee get under his skin a little bit. With all that said, you know what's going to happen next game. He will be back. There aren't too many times he just walks off into the sunset and accepts defeat. And usually the comeback is nasty.

GUYS I'M MISSING RIGHT NOW IN THE NBA FINALS

Do I really have to explain this one? The puppet commercials would be so much better right now. Why did you have to mess it up Lebron? Rumor has it David Stern checked into a hospital for clinical depression.

There is nobody else outside of Lebron and Kobe that can score at will. This guy is a problem. Straight Baltimore Bully. He will win a ring before it's all said and done.

Has always been my favorite player in the league. More than his defense, I miss his antics. The energy, the scowl is what makes him exciting. If the Big Ticket is here right now Kobe has more problems getting inside, and Pao Gasol would be getting punked again. And I don't mean "Punked" the show. I mean punked in real life.

It would be nice if he decided to join the party now wouldn't it?

I'm not going to lie. These two make me laugh. I stay up no matter how tired and exhausted I am. They make it worth it. They are real. So real almost to a fault. You are always on the edge of your seat wondering what they may say or do next. They say things that borderline should get you fired, but are great for TV. I love Magic, Mike Wilbon and the guys but they have a long way to go to catch up to the TNT act. After I watched Kobe jump over a car, a few days later watching TNT I almost died laughing. The funniest thing I ever saw on TNT was this clip here. Please watch the whole thing for a great laugh.

A MERE MORTAL

2009-06-08T09:38:00.022-04:00

MERE MORTAL

They say big time players show up in big time moments. This has not been the case for Dwight Howard in the NBA Finals so far. Howard has been bottled up like a Coca Cola Classic for the first two games of this series. The credit has to go to the Laker big men. More Pao Gasol then Andrew Bynum as Bynum has been in foul trouble for most of the series. What has been exposed now is Dwight Howard's post up game. It is something he has to address in the off season. He had 17 points and 16 rebounds, but turned the ball over 7 times. It's not enough. How can a "soft" Gasol control a super athletic big man like Howard? How can Howard get his first dunk of the series last night in the 3rd quarter? It's as if he's lost his powers. He has become a mere mortal. There is no way the Magic can win this series if Howard doesn't find a way to be the superstar he is. I think one of my Facebook friends said it best on his status update. "This is why Dwight doesn't have a puppet."

MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

If the Orlando Magic go on to lose this series it will all come down to missed opportunities. Never will it be more evident than it was last night. Courtney Lee has a chance to win in it regulation and misses the floater in the lane which was a good look at the basket. Then Stan Van Gundy, "The Master of Panic" draws up a great inbounds play that leaves Lee wide open again and he missed the lay up off the lob pass from Turkoglu. You also have to understand that Orlando wasted a outstanding shooting performance from Rashard Lewis who gives you 34 points on 6-12 from beyond the arc. Turkoglu gives you 22 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists while doing an outstanding job guarding Kobe Bryant down the stretch. The Magic had a golden opportunity to steal this one from the Lakers, but they missed the layup.

THUMBS UP

When Jameer Nelson wanted to come back and play in the finals, he approached Rafer Alston and Anthony Johnson to find out if it was ok with the two veterans. They both gave the thumbs up and had no problem with Nelson returning. But I agree with Jeff Van Gundy. What the hell were they supposed to say? No? Any good teammate wouldn't say hey we don't want you to play. But I wonder if now they are reconsidering? Alston hasn't been the same player since Nelson came back. He goes 1-8 in the game yesterday. He has to play looking over his shoulder now. It's very unfortunate because Alston is very much responsible for why the Magic are even in the NBA Finals. And poor Anthony Johnson. He put his thumb up, and now he is buried on the end of the bench sucking on it.

BIG GAME JAMES

I hate to say this, but I miss Lebron James so much right now. This series needs something. I realized this last night as my wife had to wake me up and tell me the game was about to start as I had feel asleep on the couch. I realized this when the game went to overtime and for some reason I was still bored. The Magic need that star power and Lebron James has "IT". There is no way that James would be invisible if he were in this series right now. There is no way that he would only have one dunk through two games. One thing about James is he has a lot of heart and doesn't seem to shy away from the moment. I don't think I have ever missed a player this much in the NBA Finals since Magic Johnson retired from the game. I don't think Cleveland could have beaten the Lakers. As a matter of fact, the Magic have a better chance to win. But I know this, I wouldn't have fell asleep before Lebron was getting ready to play. That's a fact.

A FEW THINGS I'VE LEARNED DURING THE NBA FINALS

J.J. Redick is the slowest guy in the league hands down. Maybe Zydrunas Ilgauskas is in the running, but its not clear cut the J.J. is faster. This guy is a snail. I watched him dribble the ball and it looked like he was running for his life. The guy is a heck of a shooter when he is confident. But when he is dribbling it is straight "Hot Potato" out there. The funniest thing I saw on Facebook yesterday was one of my friends that stated in his status "I'm not exaggerating, I've never seen J.J. Redick make a shot in an NBA game."

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the first or second best center in Laker history. Sorry Shaq, I have to now put you in third place. I was reading an article the other day by Adrian Wojnarowski about Shaq. Shaq has said many times that he is better than "Cap". I grew up watching Kareem and I played with Shaq. I always thought Shaq was the best until what I read and realized in that article. Kareem averaged 22 points and 8 rebounds at 37 years of age on a Laker Championship Squad in 1985. Argument over Shaq. Now Wilt Chamberlin scored 100 points in a game. So the top spot is up for debate. But second place is not.

The Lakers are the most hated team in sports. I didn't really understand this until this year's NBA Finals. With Facebook and Twitter now being so popular you can really see what's on almost anybody's mind. I see so many status updates about people rooting for Orlando or people just hoping the Lakers get crushed. People hate Duke, some hate the Yankees, I've heard lots of hatred for the Patriots, but I don't think anything compares to the Laker hating. It's bizarre because they were my favorite team growing up. And you know what, they were a lot of people's favorite team growing up. I can even go as far as saying people hate the Lakers now like everyone hated the Celtics back in the 80's.

UNANSWERED PRAYERS

2009-06-05T08:44:00.015-04:00

CONCERN FOR STERN

Be afraid David, be very afraid. I say this because last night the worst possible thing happened for the NBA. The Orlando Magic got thrashed. David Stern is so wishing he could have some controversy now. Wishing Lebron James' back was just a little bit stronger and he could've carried the Cavs into the Finals. Wishing that Ron Artest could be here to say something crazy, anything that would bring some life to these Finals. Nobody, not even Laker fans wanted to see an execution like that last night. Stern is wishing he had some years back. Wishing for a Dennis Rodman or anybody, who could go out there and at least try to guard Kobe Bryant. Don't shut him down he's thinking, but at least keep it interesting.

NOT GOING TO GET IT DONE

I don't like bringing religion into my blogs but this is a must. I'm not liking the way things are sounding right now for the Orlando Magic. I was watching ESPN this morning and I always pay attention to the interviews. I always like to see what the mood of the players look like, especially after they lose. I heard things like Mike Pietrus saying "You just have to hope he misses" or you hear Dwight Howard say things like "You just have to pray" when trying to stop Kobe Bryant. That, if you're an Orlando Magic fan, should worry you. Sorry ladies and gentleman but God has much bigger things to worry about then the result of some basketball game. Prayer is not going to help you in this series. You have to devise some to of plan to try and stop this guy. It takes effort, it takes determination and it takes heart. And even with all these things you still may not get it done. One thing I know for sure is praying and hoping never gets it done in sports. If both sides pray, one side is still going to win and the other side is still going to lose. That's the facts. Get off your knees and play some damn defense!

HAPPY TO BE HERE

I'm sorry but I have to kill the Orlando Magic today for their performance yesterday. The Magic look like kids at their first night club when they turn 21. They look like they're just happy to be inside. Dwight Howard said that "Nobody's upset or angry that we lost." Really? You're not upset that you only scored one basket in your first game of the NBA Finals. Not the right attitude Dwight. You should be embarrassed. You should be upset that you put in a performance like that. You should be upset that Kobe scored the 4th most points in a Game 1 of the NBA Finals. It's not good enough just to be there and take in the scenery. You have to be hungry. You have to act like you may never get there again. I say this because the probabilities of that happening are very high.

FOCUSED

You know it's almost scary how focused the Lakers all seem to be. And it starts with #24. I've seen this up close but not quite this intense. He is on a mission. We questioned how he would play yesterday, whether shooting or passing and he came out and started blasting any and everyone he saw. The guy will not rest until he wins his 4th championship ring. We all know that for the last few years the title has been elusive for Mr. Bryant. The rest of the Lakers look just as focused. Pao Gasol saying that "this is just one game, we can't let up." Bryant even said "The best thing we can do with this game is just forget about it." His face never cracked a smile. If I was an Orlando Magic player, I wouldn't watch any TV. The focus of the Lakers can be scary. It's like watching a horror movie and hearing that music. You know what's coming.

FULL NELSON

This was one of my favorite moves when I was little You had to be into wrestling to understand this. I must ask this, are we getting the full Nelson? Because if not then he shouldn't be out there. I'm wrestling back and forth with the decision of Stan Van Gundy to play Jameer Nelson so many minutes. Is he better than Rafer Alston, of course. But how many games in a row can he play well? He hasn't played for over 4 months. How is this going to affect Rafer Alston's play? Alston has done a good job for the Magic and has had some stellar games. But sitting the whole 2nd quarter doesn't help with a player's confidence or keeping a veteran player warm. Nelson, surprised me and actually looked really good last night for a guy who has been out so long. Not sure about this decision at this point in the season. But, I do think the guy's a good player, even though he went to St. Joseph's in Philadelphia. I went to Villanova and everyone knows they hate us and we hate them.

JUST SAYING

Ok, I know its kind of early to be thinking like this, but the way the Magic just laid down yesterday has me thinking. Don't tell me you didn't think it a little after what you saw. The Magic looked outclassed. They looked as if they showed up at a black tie affair with jeans and a hoody on. This is the NBA Finals and you can get embarrassed. A broom is used for removing dust and the Orlando Magic looked a little dusty yesterday. And I say this, if the Magic are not going to come to play then let's just get it over with quick. Nobody wants to watch them get drug up and down the floor like the Sixers in 2001. Don't even use a dust pan. Just sweep them right on out the door and let's move on.

NBA FINALS 2009

2009-06-04T07:32:00.018-04:00

THE MOMENT OF TRUTH

I don't care how much Kobe Bryant says it's not about showing the world he can win it without Shaq. I don't care how much he says those things are a thing of the past. That's a lie and this is about truth. Everyone wants to know can the Black Mamba deliver another piece of hardware to the City of Angels, including himself. It's not just him. We all were questioning. We all remember how dominant Shaq Diesel was in the post. We all remember that Kobe never won a finals MVP. We all know that deep down inside Kobe wants to the best that ever played this game. We all know that Lebron James is now breathing down Kobe's neck. I think most of all, Kobe knows he's 30 years old, the age in an athlete's career where your supposed to be at your prime. It's also the mountaintop and you can see that slope headed downward. There are no guarantees in this league anymore, Mo Williams has been eliminated. Ask Allen Iverson, he understands as he was in the NBA Finals in 2001. He's never sniffed it again.

UH OH

One of the reasons I don't think the Orlando Magic can win the NBA Finals is because of their lack of experience. The only guy on the Orlando Magic that has ever won a championship is Tyron Lue with the Lakers in 2000 and 2001. Lue and I were on the 2000 Championship squad together. He's witnessed everything that Kobe did firsthand like myself, nine years ago. Of course it's even more fierce now. I was looking at the podium when Orlando beat Cleveland and the Magic were all celebrating. Not sure if its just me, but Lue didn't look all that happy. He has two championship rings and he's been there before. But also, I think he was thinking "uh oh" or rather "oh my God, we got Kobe Bryant next." He knows how focused this dude can be. He and I have both seen way too much of that before. Not sure if Lue wants to revisit that all again, this time from the wrong side.

THE VAN GUNDY'S

So explain to me how this is going to work. You have Stan Van Gundy coaching in the NBA Finals. You have his brother Jeff Van Gundy on the microphone doing the announcing for the game. Are we suppose to believe that Jeff is partial? Are we suppose to believe that he isn't rooting for his brother? In no way shape or form. But I have to tell you I love Van Gundy, Jeff that is, along with Mark Jackson calling the games. These guys are two of the best. They are hilarious, but they bring some knowledge of the game as well. There's only one thing I don't like about Jeff Van Gundy. He was the first coach to ever cut me in my life. I was on the Knicks pre-season roster one year and he released me. I never forgave him for that. As a matter of fact he's a horrible announcer. I take everything I said earlier back.

DO THEY HAVE A SHOT?

If you have to ask this question then I have to say you may be ignorant. Maybe you haven't been watching the playoffs up until this point. If you think this is going to be a quick knock down, you're crazy? The Orlando Magic have been doubted at every point in this year's post season. Do they have a shot? Everyone's e-mailing me wondering. Have you seen the way they shoot? The can really hurt you from beyond the arc. Turkgolu, Lewis, Alston, Pietrus, and yes even J.J. Reddick if he sniffs the court, can all hit the open three. That is a nightmare for any team when you have a big guy in the paint that commands attention like Dwight Howard. Do they have a shot? If you ask that question maybe you should be.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR IN THE FINALS

Can the Lakers guard Dwight Howard one on one? That is the big question. Because if they can't, they may be in for a long series. Andrew Bynum should be up to the task, but should doesn't get it done in the finals. With Bynum you never know who's going to show up.

Will Kobe look to score or distribute? When he is getting big numbers sometimes the other guys suffer, but last year none of the others like Pao Gasol or Lamar Odom stepped up. Look for Kobe to try and get guys involved but if it's not working right away, the gun will be ready and loaded.

Can the Magic's bench keep up with the Laker's second unit? We know Phil Jackson has confidence in his bench and that gives the starters for the Lakers good rest. The Lakers can come off the bench with about five guys in Farmer, Vujacic, Walton, Odom and Brown. Orlando has gotten great play out of Pietrus. Anthony Johnson has been backing up Rafer Alston at the point and they can bring in Gortat who's been impressive in spurts. Jameer Nelson will be active tonight for Game 1, but I'm not sure how effective he can be after that type of layoff. The Lakers obviously have more to pick from but not sure you need that many in the Finals. The bench starts to shorten the further you go in the playoffs.

Shaq will show up at one of these games. It's as if he just can't stay out of the news. He's played for both teams. Shaq has a mansion in Orlando. I'm sure he still has property in Los Angeles. He's gone off on Kobe in the past, and Stan Van Gundy in the near past. He couldn't help but show up. Shaq loves the spotlight and what would a finals be without the Diesel there court side in a front row seat? Shaq is the greatest entertainer in the NBA, with or without a basketball in his hands.

A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR LEBRON JAMES

2009-05-31T07:29:00.033-04:00

A MOMENT OF SILENCE Lebron James walked off the court dejected after his Cleveland Cavaliers were defeated by the mighty Orlando Magic. James, usually very accessible to the media dressed quickly, didn't talk to the anyone and boarded the team bus. I almost felt sorry for the James, but so is sports. It's about the climb to the top with the slippage along the way. All the great ones have gone through it. Jordan, Kobe, Garnett, the list goes on. Not that it's right, but I can understand why he didn't speak to anybody. Sometimes there's nothing to say. Frustration is boiling inside. You can't put on a smile. You can't do much more. He carried the Cavs on a stretcher the whole series and I say stretcher because it was if the rest of his team was dead. I understand the frustration. But I think after what he did in this series, in this picture his head should be tilted in the opposite direction.

PUPPETS OFF THE BENCH
Now I know Nike wasn't stupid enough not to have reinforcements right? I know they have to have some puppets come off the bench right? If not, let me give them an idea. You got to have an extra long puppet now. It has to be Dwight Howard. He has to move into the house and take over Lebron's room or something. And then he becomes Kobe's new best friend. They go and hang out, they play games together while they leave Lebron home. Lebron's unhappy because he can't tag along. May not be too funny to the real Lebron. He may not ok a commercial like that. The other thing is, not sure if Howard is even sponsored by Nike. Someone do the research please. But hey, it's just a thought. The puppets are a hit. We got to keep it going.

WHAT DID THE FIVE FINGERS SAY TO THE FACE?
The Lakers just straight disrespected the Nuggets in their own house last game. Denver got smacked at home as the Lakers ended Denver's best season in franchise history. The main reason is because of a beast to the left that needs no introduction. How do you stop the Black Mamba you ask? You don't. You hope, that's all you can do. You hope he's off. You hope he wants to defer to teammates. You hope he doesn't find something to motivate himself. As good as Lebron James is, this guy is a nightmare and has more killer in him. He is more driven to prove he's the best and it's very scary. He wants to prove he can win it without Shaq. He's been to the NBA Finals last year and his team, unlike Lebron James, will give him some assistance. The Black Mamba is scary and if he wins the championship this year, while putting up outstanding numbers in the Finals, the puppet debate will fade into the distance. Kobe Bryant and the Lakers can smack you with the best of them.

IT ALL DEPENDS
But hey, don't get me wrong, I'm not stupid. I know that the Lakers face a monumental task when going up against the Orlando Magic and Dwight Howard. The Magic beat the Lakers twice during the regular season. We know Howard is the best center in the league. But it's not long ago that I was watching a young guy from the Lakers and thinking to myself, "This young guy can be the best center in the league." I am going to say this and I won't aplogize. Andrew Bynum has more skills and can end up being a better player than Dwight Howard. What? You gonna question me on that? He is very athletic, not so much like Howard, but how many guys can wear a cape? He is a better shooter and has more moves around the basket. He can shoot free throws and is a better passer. But it all depends on which Bynum shows up. He has battled injuries in his career but he has the skills. He has to transform from that nice guy into a monster. On another note I can't believe I am selling out my high school Piscataway right now. Bynum went to our local rival high school St. Joseph's in Metuchen, NJ. The same high school as Jay Williams who starred at Duke and was drafted with the 2nd pick in the NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls. We hate dudes from St. Joseph's. So forget I even said any of this. What a sellout I have become!!! Piscataway Chiefs for life!!!

MUTT AND JEFF
No two coaches can be more different than these two. One is tall, the other is short. One is slender, the other is...not so slender. One has 9 championships, the other has none. One is known for his laid back attitude, the other has been called "The Master of Panic." One rarely ever yells on the sideline, the other loses his voice with his ranting and raving. With this all said and done, I think the opposites are going to make this series a very good one. But in the long run, for all that is different, the one thing that they share is that they are both in search of the NBA Championship.

THINGS THAT WERE EXPOSED DURING THE PLAYOFFS

Everyone had this team on a pedestal coming into the series with the Magic, including me. They had the best record in basketball during the regular season. None of us really questioned that they were coming out of the East, the weaker conference. None of us questioned the age of their frontline. None of us realized how strong a King's back can really be.

The Boston Celtics were a great team last year. But they got old over night. Who knows if Kevin Garnett will be back? Paul Pierce got old right in front of our eyes. Ray Allen disappeared for long stretches in the clutch. Big Baby Davis may be looking for greener pastures, meaning he wants more green that maybe the Celtics can't even get him. It may be a one and done run for the Celtics. No offensive rebound for a second chance shot.

The NBA has to address this after the season. All the flagrants that weren't flagrants. All the ones that were. The NBA has no idea when it comes to this. This is not a kiddy league and the NBA has to understand that. These guys will show emotion and you can't get thrown out of games for yelling in someone's face or hitting a guy a little too hard. Hey I understand you have to keep control, but this year things got a little out of hand.

The NBA's old slogan was "NBA Action is FANtastic". Well I'm not so sure about the fans anymore. I work at these NBA games and sometimes these fans get carried away. We saw the issue with Ron Artest a few years back. Yes, Artest was wrong but we tend to forget that a fan threw a beer from the stands and it hit Artest. Carmelo Anthony's fiancee Alani Vasquez was verbally attacked in the stands during the series with Dallas. The Lakers Derek Fisher has a stalker that has been harassing him since 2000. Some of this stuff is getting out of hand and the NBA has to address it. Better security and they have to hold fans to a higher standard. I don't care how much you paid for your ticket, you have to have some class.

The integrity of college athletics was exposed as well. The problem is a problem in itself, but it is worse because it always comes to the forefront once these guys are in the NBA. The issue that is circulating about Derrick Rose and someone else possibly taking his SAT test, while his grades possibly being changed while at Simeon High School in Chicago doesn't look good. O.J. Mayo had some problems with taking money while at USC. These Universities love to turn their heads and act as if they don't know anything is going wrong. It's crap because most of the Universities know exactly what's happening and just care too much about winning and the money generated to really police their athletic departments. Mayo and Rose are the two that hit the headlines, but this happens more than we all hear about. Do I blame the kids? No, I blame the grownups who "think" they're looking out for the kids when actually they're doing the exact opposite by giving them a hall pass to the bathroom.

CAN I GET A WITNESS?

2009-05-29T07:55:00.013-04:00

WHAT DID I JUST WITNESS?

The slogan that Nike uses "WE ARE ALL WITNESSES" never made more sense to me than it did last night. We can talk about how great Lebron is all night long, and I still can't really believe what I saw. Do you people understand what really happened? If you don't let me help you. Lebron had a triple double with 37 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Coach Mike James were so desperate for a win they abandoned all plays. They simply threw the ball to the King at the top of the key and just said "Save us your Highness." There was no ball movement, no fluidity about it. Everyone knew he was going to shot. Everyone knew he was the focus. The Magic could do nothing. He did everything but create the universe last night. He scored, he assisted, he rebounded. Ben Roethlisberger, Mariano Rivera, Alex Rodriguez and Jay-Z were all in attendance. I don't think any of them every dominated in their craft like Lebron James did last night. I was a witness.

WAS THAT THE DOORBELL?

Yes it was. And when you open the door it is Mo Williams. Williams finally showed up for dinner last night and he couldn't have come at a better time. Williams has the been the missing factor all series for the Cavs. Williams was able to chip in with 24 points and finally put on his costume and became "Robin" for the caped crusader named Lebron. Williams can't be sitting like he is in this picture watching Lebron James season the meat, cut it, cook it and serve it. He has to be part of the process.

WHO IS MIKE BROWN?

I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't know the Cleveland Cavaliers Coach's name. He may need to do something to bring some attention to himself like that rapper Mike Jones. It's not like his name or his coaching ability stands out. I have some of my blog followers sending me messages questioning the man's coaching ability. Let's be honest people. Can the man really win in this position? He is ultimately overshadowed by James. He's been to the NBA Finals which wasn't enough. He's coaching Lebron James and really Lebron probably coaches him. He doesn't want any problems. Everybody questioning him because he stands there and lets Lebron do it all. Hey, maybe he's smart. Maybe he knows what we are trying to ignore. The rest of the Cavs aren't that good. Maybe it was brilliant what Brown did. Give it to Lebron, sit down and shut the hell up.

TONIGHT DOESN'T MATTER

Now obviously the Nuggets are going to put up a major fight tonight. We know that. The Nuggets are a very tough team and they are going to bring everything they have to the Lakers this evening. They're probably going to beat the Lakers and force a Game 7. Then what? You guessed it. They'll probably get blown out! So why even win tonight? Just to give yourself a shot. They always say you never know. But I know this, no matter what Carmelo and the fellas do tonight, when they come back to Los Angeles, the lights are out, goose is cooked, chicken is on the grill and the barbecue sauce is ready. I predict that Denver will win tonight. Then in Game 7 they will get cooked. Let's label that game "The Cookout."

LAKERS CAN'T BE BEAT

I'm not afraid to say this. Nobody out of the East can beat the Lakers. The best chance would be the Denver Nuggets and they're down right now 3-2. To beat the Lakers you have to be physical and the most physical team left in the playoffs are the Nuggets. If Orlando wins, the Lakers have big bodies that can match up with Howard. They also have the perimeter defenders that can guard Turkoglu and Lewis. If the Cavs do the unthinkable and comeback, they just don't have enough firepower to mess with the Lakeshow. But hey, I'm getting a little cocky here and if you're a Denver fan, you're probably not liking it too much.

RANDOM THOUGHTS

I'm thinking that I'm probably going to go through some Post Playoff Depression after this is over. This has been a real joy to watch the NBA playoffs this year. Then comes the most boring part of the year. July to August. Of course, there's baseball, but to me baseball pails in comparison to watching the NFL and the NBA. Baseball is great live, being at the ball park and enjoying the weather, but on TV it has a long way to go. But I guess I'll just have to tough it out for a few months, like Jay-Z with that new afro he's growing.

HERE COMES THE BOOM

2009-05-28T08:51:00.031-04:00

MY HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED

In my brief career in the NBA I had the opportunity to play with Kobe Bryant. Bryant, even then, which was 9 years ago was one of the best players in the league. The kid has grown over the years since the three air balls when he was a rookie. Last night I heard him say, "I wanted to change my approach this game and become more of a decoy." Say what? If you would have asked #8 back in 1999-2000 to be a decoy he would have laughed in your face and then told you to stop playing. But over the years Kobe has learned that as great as he is, in this game you need five players. The dude is phenomenal and just like Jordan, he's learned that getting other guys the ball will only cement his legacy even further. My, how he's grown over the years. But I still had to clean out my ears and do a double take. I was like, "He said what?"

BIRD MAN?

First and foremost, let me say that I like the guy. But hey, in CELEVISION no man is safe. Why do they call him the Bird man? We should all do our research. But isn't he supposed to be able to fly? Doesn't he have some hang time? Well last night he made two posters. The first was on the wing with Shannon Brown flushed it hard on him. The Bird Man was taking his steps trying to time the dunk, but he didn't get it right. It was the biggest play of the night. The second one was Lamar Odom putting his chest all over the Bird Man. The Bird Man had to run for cover. Again, I like the dude, but man he got punched on twice in the same game! See it's not time for jokes right now as Denver is down 3-2 now with their backs against the wall. But hey, it could have been worse. It could've been this guy dunking on you!

THE TOWEL BOY

I had the pleasure of playing for one of the best coaches of all time in Phil Jackson. I will admit, the guy was out there. We did all type of things from meditation to Yoga. He even would burn some stick in the locker room sometimes. He said it was getting rid of "The Bad Spirits." Hey, it's hard to question a man who had already won 6 rings with the Bulls at that time. And it still amazes me how he prepares his team and will put anyone in at any moment. You always have to be ready with Phil. He can call on you in the blink of an eye. Last night Jackson put in Shannon Brown in the second half after he didn't see the floor in the first half. The average coach would never do this. Again with Phil you have to be ready for anything. I remember when I was with the Lakers. I hadn't played in almost 30 games. He throws a towel in my direction. I saw it coming at me out the corner of my eye. I caught the towel. He says "Good rookie. You're in." Just like that. He expects you to be ready and sometimes will put you in in the most extreme situations, especially during the regular season. He understands it's a team game and players from 1 through 12 have to contribute in some manner. I always wondered though, what would've happened if I would've dropped the towel?

DRIVER'S LICENSE

I've known Lamar Odom since High School. I remember playing against his AAU team the Long Island Panthers a few times over in New York City. Lamar has always been a real nice guy. Spoke to him a little bit this year before a game with the Sixers and we had a few laughs. I like the aggressive Lamar Odom. I like when he's taking the ball and DRIVING to the basket. Which brings back some memories. I remember when I was with the Lakers, Lamar was playing with the Los Angeles Clippers (sorry about that man). We both lived in Marina Del Rey, CA with Lamar living in the building in front of mine. I bumped into him one day at the cleaners. I see big, 6 ft. 10 inch Lamar sitting in the back of a car. I say "What's up man. What you doing?" He says "Cele, I'm waiting for my driver." I say "Man you living like that huh, you got a driver?" He says "Nah man, it ain't like that, I don't know how to drive. I from New York, been catching the train my whole life!" I found that hilarious. Nothing like New York City kids. But hey, I like the way he's driving now. Big game last night LO. For some reason, I always root for this guy.

BIG CITY OF DREAMS

It's a shame that we have to think like this. It's scary for Cleveland fans as well. How sick are we for even contemplating this? But this is the day and age we live in. King James is down 3-1 and it looks like his team's demise is pretty soon. Tough in this day and age that getting to the conference finals is just not enough right? Doesn't help that we keep talking about Lebron's lack of assistance or assistants in these playoffs. Not sure I like the colors blue and orange, but Madison Square Garden, the bright lights of NYC, Broadway, a Rucker Park appearance, man it does sound nice! Nothing too sexy about the city of Cleveland for Lebron James except himself. Maybe it is time for a makeover. Hey, I know I'd buy a ticket. I'd be on NJ Transit Northeast Corridor Line from New Brunswick, NJ to Madison Square Garden at least a few times a month!

KEEP HOPE ALIVE!

I know you're going to think I'm bipolar but sometimes I just get a small feeling that I may be counting out the Cavs too soon. They do have Lebron James and something about that interview the other day just has me thinking "Can he do it?" I think back to Jordan and the moments that made him. The drama. The shot on Ehloooooooo, the father's day championship, the flu game where he went off. Maybe this is one of James' moments. Kobe had them, when he was dealing with the trial. How he'd show up and have big games after being in court all day. Maybe, just maybe this is Lebron's chance. I just wonder if maybe they just won't give in. Ok, maybe I looking for a little drama. But what if they won't go down? What if they come back and win? I'm just dreaming. I guess.

EPISODE 10

2009-05-27T10:15:00.023-04:00

RESPECT

Lebron James didn't have one of his greatest games last night. With that said his game still spoke volumes and is far greater than other superstars. But what I saw on the podium after the loss is the reason why you have to love the guy. He made no excuses. There was no quit in him. He stayed positive even though he is staring down the barrel of a gun being down 3-1 in this series. He said he is "up for the challenge." He showed the confidence of a Colonel about to lead his troops into a war he knows he can't win. But he's not going to let you know that. I think he better check with Mo Williams though. He didn't seem seem as confident anymore. He looked like a man that was thinking "Me and my big mouth. What the hell have I gotten myself into?"

BACK TO LIFE......

Back to reality. It's over for the Cavs. Only 8 teams in NBA history have ever come back from a 3-1 deficit. That's a big wall to climb. I don't care who you have on your team, as we've seen King James do it all in this series. There will be no comebacks against the Magic. This team is shooting the 3 point shot too well and they have all the pieces on the defensive end with Dwight Howard and Mickeal Pietrus to stop James from scoring 80 points. That would be the only way that Cleveland can win if Lebron goes for 80 points in all the next three games cause he's already done everything else.

WHERE YOU BEN?

Ben Wallace is missing. He is no where to be found. He definitely was missing on that last shot that Rashard Lewis hit as he wasn't even in the picture. As physical as he is, he should have been more of a force on the defensive end as Zydrunas Ilgauskas feet have been nailed to the floor for years. Isn't it crazy how guys get old over night? Remember when Ben Wallace was winning defensive player of the year honors? He won it 4 times and is tied with Mutombo for the record. Man how time flies. But I'm not sure that shot by Lewis was all his fault. Why did Mike Brown put Wallace on Lewis? Everyone in the gym knew he couldn't chase Lewis around screens. Obviously Van Gundy knew it. Questionable. Very questionable move.

RAFER AL-STAR?

Ok that just a play on words, but did they not know this guy can play? He is torching the Cavs. He goes for 26 points last night and is laughing and giggling the whole time enjoying himself on the court. I watched him hold his own against Andre Miller in the first round vs. the Sixers. Now he's doing it again in this series. The legend of "Skip to My Lou" continues to grow. I remember the first time I played against him in the East Orange Summer Pro league. It was early in his career and all I kept thinking about was what type of And 1 Mix Tape move he was going to put on me. The guy play solid the whole game. But he wasn't hitting the jumper like he is now so he didn't kill me. But he did hit me with a crossover that sent me west while he went east and the crowd went "OOHHHHHH." Cats were running out of the stands and give each other high fives. At least I would be on his mix tape now!!!

GOT YOUR ATTENTION NOW?

This has been a more competitive series than we all thought. Of course you want my prediction right? Well think about it. The Lakers haven't really played well all series and still they're tied 2-2. And tonight there at home in Los Angeles. They've stolen the home court advantage back and if Denver doesn't get this one tonight the series is over. Why you ask? Because there is no way there going to win a Game 7 in Los Angeles. Ask Houston how they took the smack down! Tonight is do or die for Denver and that only helps the Lakers. The Black Mamba gets busy tonight. He is the best closer in sports. I'd put #24 on the mound in the 9th inning without warming him up. No doubt!

OUTRAGEOUS THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THE PLAYOFFS

RAFER ALSTON KISSING UP TO THE REFEREE

You have to be very secure in your manhood for this. I played in Italy and the coaches would always kiss you on the cheek. Not sure if Rafer played overseas but I know one thing, I never got used to the kissing.

RAFER ALSTON SLAPS EDDIE HOUSE

Sorry that you made the list again. I mean we've all thought about it before. But you went and did it! I guess you're a go getter. You follow through with things. Maybe that's why you made the NBA. You're a risk taker.

EDDIE HOUSE DELIVERS GREAT SOUND

After you get slapped in the head on national television, there was only one way to come back. And come back you did. Letting one loose live on the air and not even flinching or saying excuse me. I loved it, classic. NBA didn't even fine him because they knew after getting slapped like a little child you should at least let him vent.

BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY

Dahntay, I know how it feels. I had trouble guarding Kobe Bryant too. Imagine having to do it everyday in practice. Now he and I had our scuffles but I never thought to....... Not sure I would...... Sure you weren't speaking to Vince McMahon before the game?? I know he was proud.

MO WILLIAMS WENT TO SEE THE WIZARD

I'm talking about the Wizard of Oz. He all of a sudden has lot of courage in saying that they would win this series. But he forgot to pick up the most important part. The brain. Keep quiet in a series like this. You're not PLAYING the Wizards, this is the Magic. And now you may need some, in order to make a comeback. Can you make Dwight Howard disappear into thin air????

HAS TO SPEAK THE TRUTH

It's like Ron Artest has to tell you what's on his mind. There is no other way around it. It's crazy because when you first start listening to Ron you're laughing but as the interview goes on you stop laughing and you start to wonder or should I say worry.

CUBAN GOES OFF

Sorry Mark, I know you're rich, but you can't push a camera man out of the way. You can't call someone's son a "Thug." Then you can't invite them up to your suite after it's all said and done. What arrogance. Didn't you ever listen to the Beatles? "Money can't buy me loooovvee"

WHY????????????

Any team, any other team. Did they have to get the #1 pick??? You ever seen the Sopranos? When they kill you they call it getting "clipped". Figures!

EPISODE 9 - TRIPPING

2009-05-26T07:35:00.040-04:00

TRIPPING

So if you not up on slang let me give you the origin and history of the word "tripping." It's a word that originated on the west coast. It has numerous meanings. It can mean you're not in your right mind. It can mean your being too nervous. It can mean you're laughing hysterically at something. Last night all of these meanings applied along with the literal meaning of the word when I was watching Dahntay Jones. He was tripping Kobe Bryant. I couldn't believe it when I saw it. He stuck his foot out and tripped the man on purpose. I started tripping as I rewinded it to look at it again. I said to myself "This dude is tripping." What is he thinking? Then I watched the Lakers just roll over and die last night and thought "Man, the Lakers are trippin'." Kobe is carrying the team, and right now Lamar Odom is invisible. Kobe can't do much more, he is going to need assistance. And if the Lakers don't figure something out fast, they may get "tripped up" on their way to the Finals.

Who's who?

So coming in everyone knew that the Lakers had more weapons right? Everyone just knew for a fact the Lakers can hurt you from inside or outside and they had #24. But it seems to me like the Nuggets are the ones getting points from everywhere. Nuggets had 7 guys in double figures yesterday, had 42 points off the bench and three guys that had more than 13 rebounds. The Lakers, on the other hand, seemed uninterested yesterday to give Kobe any help. Hey, is it me or do the Nuggets seem to be punking the Lakers? Deja Vu?

I SAID "NO MO"

I think Mo Williams may want to keep his mouth

shut. This is not the time to start making predictions and guarantees. Mo hasn't been stellar in this series. Maybe he should star in this movie. But seriously, why do guys do this? Is it for motivation? Is it to hype themselves up? The problem is it puts more pressure on you and your teammates while motivating the other team. The Magic are already mad because of all of these commercials depicting Lebron and Kobe in the NBA Finals. Do you think you need to add more fuel to the fire? Hey Williams, you're tripping. I don't think you should say that NO MO!

HELP ME HELP YOU

Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers will again tangle with the Orlando Magic tonight. Maybe it' s just Lebron. Let me leave the "and Cleveland Cavaliers" part off. James is averaging 41.7 points per game. That is too huge of a load for even a King. James is a guy who is a tremendous passer and would like to get other guys involved. I think James would gladly pass off some of the weight of this series, but they have to help James by hitting some shots.

WANTED

Physical and abusive. Uses elbows to inflict harm on opponents.

Assassinated the entire Lakers squad in huge shoot out. May appear docile at times but can explode and erupt at any moment. Be very very careful.

Will use extreme and unusual tactics to take down his victims. Very explosive temper. Must be apprehended

Mentally unstable. Said that his team is the best team in basketball. Approach with caution. Has ability to hurt opponents, but hasn't shown it lately.

Sang a horrible version of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" at the Chicago Cubs game. Needs to be apprehended immediately. Should never sing again. I pity the fool who had to be subjected to that.

2009-05-25T07:37:00.031-04:00

LITTLE HELP
It just doesn't work out a lot when one person is doing all the work. When one person is
carrying the group things always seem to fall apart. This is the playoffs and it takes more than King James if the Cleveland Cavaliers want to get their fingers fitted. Where is Mo Williams? Where is Delonte West? Where is Zydrunas Ilgauskas? It's a shame cause you know how these things end up. Sometimes one person can just outshine the group. And at some point that person, no matter how nice they are, gets sick of it. Their back starts to hurt, then they have to move on.

IF YOU DON'T KNOW, NOW YOU KNOW
Mickael Pietrus is really making a name for himself in this year's playoff run. He had 16 points last night and has really been shooting the three well not to mention doing his best to try to "slow" down James. I played against Pietrus when he was a 21 year old youngster in France. I played for Adecco Asvel Villeurbanne while he played for French powerhouse Pau-Orthez. He teamed with his brother Florent Pietrus and Boris Diaw to form the most athletic team in the French League, which is the most athletic league in Europe. The Pietrus brothers were known for their high wire acts and their ability to send your shot into the stands. We ended up beating them twice but I remember walking away thinking that Mickael Pietrus and Boris Diaw were very good young players. Now I'm seeing Pietrus years later and I am not surprised. I already knew.

NO MO
The point guard battle was supposed to be won by the Cleveland Cavaliers Mo Williams. But it hasn't worked out that way. Rafer "Skip to My Lou" Alston has had his way with Williams. Alston is not suppose to be getting in the lane, hitting the tear drop floaters he's been hitting. Alston is not supposed to be toying with Williams off the pick and roll. Alston is not suppose to be able to hold Williams to less than 20 pts. Williams hasn't topped the 20 point barrier in either of the 3 games of this series. He's only shot 18 for 56 from the field going 6-24 from beyond the arc. Alston had 11 pts and 8 assists in Game 1. Yesterday in Game 3 Alston goes for 18 pts and 3 assists. If Cleveland wants to advance they have to look at their point guard Williams. He can't let this happen "NO MO."

WHO'S ON THE GRILL?
We all know today is Memorial Day. We remember our fallen soldiers and all the people who have served. We celebrate by cooking out, barbecue and relaxing with family and friends. Well, Kobe and Carmelo will be doing some of this, but not all. There will be no relaxing, but their will be some cooking. The question here is who will be doing the cooking and who will be getting cooked. If Kobe Bryant starts spreading barbecue sauce all over the Nuggets, they don't have a chance. Carmelo has to rebound from last game, by trying to heat up and get his grill on. Both of these guys are friends so it just depends on what role they play at the barbecue this evening. It's either cook or be cooked. It is Carmelo's backyard, so it just wouldn't be right if Kobe was the one on the grill. Carmelo may want to make sure he's the one doing the serving too!

WHICH GUY DOESN'T BELONG IN THIS PICTURE?

Answer is Reggie Miller. He is the nerd of the group. I love when Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson and Chris Webber are in the studio together. These guys are hilarious and really make it entertaining to watch. Some of the stuff they say is a little over the top but hey that's what television is about these days. Reggie just doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the guys. He's a little too conservative and when he does make a joke it just doesn't seem to fit. It comes natural to the other guys. I respect Reggie Miller for his knowledge of the game and I respected him.... well more like hated him as a player. So come on TNT, do what's right. Get my boys in there. Get rid of the nerd!

MUCH RESPECT, BUT I'M TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT

EPISODE 8

2009-05-24T11:18:00.033-04:00

Does it really matter?
So everyone is talking about who's better, Kobe or Lebron, the Black Mamba or King James. Even I spoke on this in some of my previous blogs. But you know what? Who cares. Whoever you believe is better, the gap between them, is slimmer than one of Reggie Miller's biceps. Both guys were unbelievable over the past few days. If you haven't seen the Lebron James shot I wonder what planet you've been on and you should be ashamed to call yourself a basketball fan. What Kobe Brant did last night was simply sheer will. Not ashamed to say that I've seen this all before from Kobe for 82 games as I was parked on the end of the Lakers bench for most of the 1999-2000 championship season. I had a front row seat of #8 turned #24 back then. But I still marveled at how he was able to hit big shots last night even though he was completely out of gas. James is just as good if not better but who cares on the debate. If I was in a club and someone said "Who you want to dance with Beyonce or J-Lo?" I'd look at the fool, call him an idiot and then say, "Does it really matter?"

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS
I respect Coach George Karl and the job he has done with the Nuggets this year. But the guy has to be sick and it isn't the swine flu. It's the "can't get the ball inbounds" flu. It seems to have infected him and his team over this series. The Nuggets have basically given away two games to the Lakers on just inexcusable turnovers. The Lakers are too talented to be given things. It's like giving a fat kid an extra cookie. I wonder what George Karl is working on in practice today? Hmmm. Maybe I should send him this video. You've heard of alternative medicine? Maybe he should look at some alternative options. Anything, but just get the damn ball in bounds!

NOT AGAIN
If you're Stan Van Gundy you just have to hate the last few seconds of any game in this year's playoff. Van Gundy and the Orlando Magic have been beaten by a last second shot by Andre Iquodala, a last second shot by Glen "Big Baby" Davis and Lebron James. The last few seconds every game has to be nerve racking. And the problem is as a coach you're so helpless on the sideline. Do you ever get over losing at the buzzer? It's terrible when you just look at the ball in slow motion and the whole time you're just yelling noooooo! This can't be happening again!

AMAZING!

This has to be one of the best NBA playoffs I remember. There have been last second shots and some great matchups. The NBA has its stars in place, with Kobe, Lebron, Carmelo and Dwight Howard all still fighting for the ring. There have been off the court spats which, like it or not adds to the spice of it all. Players blaming coaches, we've had owners going off on players and their families. We've had fiancees, wives and mothers being insulted. We've had flagrant fouls, suspensions, people getting slapped in the head, shot clocks falling. But am I watching for the basketball or am I watching for the drama? How sick am I?

CLOSE CALLS

When Lebron James hit the game winner the other night, he and everyone in Cleveland were jubilant. But the happiest guy in America was not from Cleveland. That relieved person was NBA Commisioner David Stern. I can see him now wanting to jump out of his seat and go over and high five Lebron James, maybe even throw a big wet sloppy kiss on him. But of course, he would keep his composure while inside crying tears of joy. And best believe if he could he'd get out there on the court in the final moments and put a hand up to contest a Carmelo Anthony game winning shot he'd do that too! He may even block it! The man would need CPR if Orlando and the Nuggets advance to the Finals. He wants what everyone else wants, a King James vs. Kobe matchup. If it doesn't happen I can hear him now. So close. So, so close. I was almost there. Ratings paradise.

MISSING

2009-05-22T07:45:00.030-04:00

I NEED AN ERASER

I am going to do it first. I am going to be the one to apologize to Carmelo Anthony and the Nuggets. You at home should do it too. It doesn't have to be a public apology like I'm doing but you know you had already penciled in the Lakers to make it to the NBA Finals. You know you had wrote off the Nuggets like a CEO does his expenses. We didn't give them much of a chance did we? I didn't think that Carmelo could come out again and have an awesome game and he did it. 34 points and 9 rebounds last night as he produced his 5th consecutive 30 point game. I am sorry Carmelo, I doubted you. I penciled in the Lakers, but at least I didn't use a pen.

SOME THINGS JUST NEVER CHANGE

Great play by Billups last night as he threw it off of Kobe's back for the layup. I remember the first time I saw Chauncey Billups. It was in the "Boo Williams" AAU Tournament in Hampton, Virginia. Billups was from Denver but was playing with a team from Oakland, CA. I was matched up against Billups and held my own but he was good. He wasn't even the best player on his team then. There was this other little guy who was the man, but Chauncey was the most important guy. I look at him on the court now and not much has changed. He's not the best player out there but he is the one the Nuggets can't live without. When you start to hear chants of MVP...MVP... they could possibly be speaking of Billups.

WHY GO FISHING?

Explain to me why would you go fishing with you got a farmer right on your bench. You know how it is when you go fishing. You might catch a fish, you might not, depends on the day. But

a farmer always has food ready. Fresh vegetables sitting there waiting for you. You don't wait so long like when you go fishing. I'm not sure if I want to sit out there in the hot sun and hope that I catch something. I mean that was cool back in the day but at some point you got to change it up. Don't get me wrong, I use to love to go fishing, and I respect the craft. People have been fishing for years. I learned a lot from fishing, how to be patient, how to be a professional and fishing actually helped me achieve one of my greatest accomplishments in my life. But I don't know, I think I want to try farming now. It would be something new you know?

YOU'VE BEEN BAD

Sorry Orlando Magic fans, but expect a spanking tonight. I wouldn't feel so bad about it. You've done your job. You will leave here with a split and you will have home court advantage. What? Why are you getting so upset? You don't think you'll win again do you? You see that's the problem. Don't be greedy. The Cavs are going to be angry tonight and the one think I can say is that Orlando doesn't have that killer instinct yet. Spanking may not be the correct word. A beating is more like it. This could get ugly tonight.

BRILLIANT!

You remember those beer commercials where the little guys yelled "Brilliant" after every statement? That's what I wanted to say when I saw the headline on ESPN's web page "Dirk's lawyer doubts Taylor is pregnant" Duh! You think? Can you believe anything this chick says. She isn't even who she says she is. She isn't even who you thought she was. She has a new name, new identity? Whatever online dating service Dirk used should be out of business.

EUROPEANS ARE SMARTER THAN AMERICANS?

Reportedly, Ricky Rubio doesn't want to play for the Memphis Grizzlies or the Oklahoma City Thunder. Neither do the players on either of those rosters so he'd fit right in. But seriously, I don't blame the dude. This picture to the left will signify his career if he goes to either of those teams.

EPISODE 7

2009-05-21T08:27:00.019-04:00

HE IS HUMAN

It was a moment of clarity for me. A day that I thought I would never see. Ever since the first day I saw Lebron enter the league he had seemed invincible to me. He seemed like a guy who never truly got hurt. He always seemed to bounce up after a quick fall. But for the first time yesterday I saw James as vulnerable. Even after a superhuman effort yesterday, scoring 49 points, and dishing 8 assists, it was unusual to see him so exhausted after the game. James was cramping up and gave up the ball a few times in the last few possessions. One now would have to ask can he play a game every other day at this level? The Cavs can't afford to ride James like a camel to the championship. Other guys are going to have to pitch in. And at least Mo Williams admitted yesterday that he was invisible. He took his piece of the blame when he said "It wasn't Lebron." He's right. But this was Lebron!

NO SHOT?

And to all those that didn't give the Orlando Magic a chance in this series I think you better think again. They had beaten the Cavs twice already this year. Did you really think they would be intimidated? This is the NBA and I don't think any team at this point comes in thinking they don't have a chance. I must admit I didn't think they would win Game 1 but I did think they would catch the Cavs slipping and steal one win in Cleveland. The Magic are a complete team. The play that they got from their bench was outstanding yesterday. The Magic bench outscored the Cavs bench 25-5. Mickael Pietrus led the reserves with 13 points. And I know this sounds crazy but he did the best job he could guarding Lebron James.

THIS IS MY DUDE

I never understood how people can not like Stan Van Gundy. The dude is a riot to me. His voice first of all is hysterical. Always seems like he's screaming and crying at the same time. But the guy seems to have command of his team. He seems to be a really tough guy. Not sure about his brother though. Maybe he should stay behind the camera where he belongs. And how can you not like a guy who tells his team at halftime when speaking of guarding Lebron James, "Hey you're all witnesses right now." The guy is establishing himself as a big time coach, and anyone who is anybody knows that this is the stage to do it on. The conference finals is a better time than any and Van Gundy has his guys believing.

DING DING DING!

How many people are gonna be tuning in tonight to see Carmelo vs. Kobe round 2? I know I will. But you have to wonder can Carmelo turn in another performance like he did in Game 1? I say the odds are against it. Kobe is a different story. We've seen the black mamba do this before and the Lakeshow is at home. The question for the Lakers has to be their front line. They definitely have to get tougher and show up if they want to win this series. Gasol has to be aggressive and more importantly Bynum has to get out of the tank and play like the force he can be. Gasol only had 13 pts last game and Bynum was even worst with only 6 pts and 6 rebounds. But hey I'm gonna say it now. I got Denver stealing one in Los Angeles tonight! You heard it here on CELEVISION first.

MIKE VICK

What? Did you think I was gonna be one dimensional? Just talk basketball? Mike Vick wasn't one dimensional, he could pass, scramble, do it all. Well Vick's gonna have to put all his skills to the test including his ability to persevere. Vick is out now and I feel him when he said he was going to be putting football on the back burner for now. Now is time to be with family, friends and enjoy being back to regular life. I am just as excited to see him get back on the field as everyone else, but that may not happen for a while. And if he does come back can he still be the same player he once was? I'm not sure it can happen, but then again it's not about what I think it's about what he thinks.

RANDOM THOUGHTS

Can you name these guys below? What ever happened to them?

EPISODE 6

2009-05-20T08:48:00.032-04:00

SHOWTIME

Did you really think that Kobe wasn't going to come out and give us a show? Did you really think all the friend talk that Kobe said would really matter when he was battling Carmelo Anthony? You have to be physical with the Black Mamba in order to have a chance. The dude is one of the best ever and he showed you in the 4th quarter when he knocked down 18 points after having his finger pop out of place. I guarded him in practice way back in 2000, I can only imagine what its like trying to stop him now as his game has matured. Dude's a grown man out there.

MR. CLUTCH

So who are we talking about? It's up for debate. Maybe we're talking about Jerry West and how he said that Lebron James has now moved past Kobe Bry ant as the games best player. I respect Jerry. He once came down from the offices and worked with me on my jumper for 30 minutes. It totally changed my results. The man is the logo, and I know he loves #24. Do I think he said that purposely? Yes. He knows that this will motivate Bryant. It was strategic. Trust me! I know the dude. But maybe were not talking about Jerry West. Maybe we're talking about Chauncey Billups. Did you see the step back jumpers he hit last night? He's insane when the games on the line. He's the guy I want in the emergency room with me performing surgery. He delivers under pressure. Maybe we're talking about Kobe, the black mamba. Did I say he had 18 points in the 4th?

STARVING

As I was watching the game last night at Delta's in New Brunswick, NJ I had to order the catfish fingers, my favorite as I was starving. The moment I ordered I looked up at the television and saw that Carmelo Anthony snatched another rebound and finished. This dude was hungry! He was starving too! All the talk has been about Lebron James and Chris Paul over the years. Well this guy out of Baltimore, Maryland is establishing himself as one of the best players in the league now. And let the Lakers know, don't get Kobe hurt out there. Dude is too little to be guarding Melo. Get him outta there because if he's in the paint with Carmelo, it won't be pretty. 39 points, 6 rebounds is all I got to say. I take that back, I got more. 20 points in the first 20 minutes. Stay tuned.....

WHAT WAS THAT?
So now we have to talk about the other Anthony. That is Anthony Carter. The guy that may have lobbed away the series for the Denver Nuggets. Someone needs to instruct him. You can't throw a "loop pass" as Phil Jackson called it, in this type of ball game. They say that you usually put your most reliable passer in the inbounds position. Maybe it's time to rethink who your best passer is Coach Karl.

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY

Most men always think about that one nice girl that got away in their life. You know what I'm talking about, the one girl that you thought may be the one but you just didn't treat her right. The Nuggets are going to be thinking about this one for a long time. Carmelo Anthony goes off and gets 39 pts. You outplay the Lakers for the entire night, you shoot 48.6% from the field, while holding the Lakeshow to 41% from the field. And still.....It's got to eat you up inside. Nothing worse than letting one get away. Sometimes you don't get a second chance.

MAGIC VS. CAVS

I don't think the drama will start tonight. The Cavs should win Game 1. The question I have is how do you stop a tight end from driving to the rim and dunking at will? You don't. Lebron James is 6-8, 260 pounds! There is nothing you can do. But if anyone had anything that could slow the train down it would be Dwight Howard. Superman II, as Shaq calls him, is a monster on the back line. You just have to wonder can he stay out of foul trouble and still affect the game on the defensive end? That is the million dollar question. I have to admit, trying to figure out how to stop Lebron James is pretty stupid, like this play here. Strike that question from the record please.

Just rotten luck it was for Blake Griffin. The Los Angeles Clippers got the first pick in the lottery. I was hoping for anybody but them. I don't care who it was. I would've took the wasteland we call Sacramento. Or even Milwaukee, the city with the most unattractive residents in the league. Anybody but the Clippers! Being on the Clippers is like being a passenger on a boat headed for the Bermuda Triangle. I remember when I was a Los Angeles Lakers and my friend Eric Murdock a NBA veteran was playing for the Clippers. I was walking into a club and saw Murdock standing outside. I told the bouncer "Hey man don't you know that's Eric Murdock, he plays for the Clippers." The bouncer said, "The Clippers? They gets no love around here my man." Damn Blake. It was nice knowing ya. See you when I see ya.

SHAQ GETS IT

If there is one thing I remember about Shaquille O'Neal it's that he was a down to earth dude. He went out of his way to let you know he was just one of the guys. I am ever so impressed with him now that he is going to take the "Sportscaster U" class at Syracuse University with two great guys that I have worked with in the past in Dave Ryan and Matt Parks. Shaq is showing all of us that he respects the craft and is willing to put in the work to be the best. My hat goes off to him. And it doesn't hurt that he delivered me the championship ring that I got too! Thanks big fella.

NUGGETS VS. LAKERS SERIES AND PREDICTION

2009-05-19T15:52:00.006-04:00

So if you're reading this blog I am pretty sure you will be watching the Denver Nuggets take on the Los Angeles Lakers tonight at the Staples Center. Am I intrigued by this series? Yes. This should be a good battle. Here's why:

Right now the Denver Nuggets are playing out of their mind and it's beautiful. The Nuggets, through the first ten playoff games have the highest point differential (+16) in NBA playoff history. They are the leading scoring team in the playoffs at 111.5 ppg. They are also shooting 42% from the 3 pt line which is also leads all playoff teams.

Obviously Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups are two huge keys for the Nuggets but they also have Dahntay Jones who is an outstanding defender. I had many battles with him in college as he played for Rutgers before transferring to Duke. Kobe Bryant faced Artest, but Jones is just as tough on the defensive end and maybe just as fiesty and quick tempered as Artest. Kenyon Martin is as tough and as physical as they come in this league. If he matches up with Pau Gasol or Lamar Odom he could cause some problems. Not sure if he has all his marbles though, which is bad off the court but sometimes good on. For some reason, Chris "Birdman" Anderson is becoming one of my favorite players. I love his energy and his don't give a hoot attitude. Nene has been the surprise here in the playoffs. He seems to have finally discovered that he can play the game. He'll be matched up with Andrew Bynum who seems a little tentative and hasn't been himself. That is not good for the Lakers.

But the one question I have about Denver is can they defend? I am not sure they can. I know they can score the basketball, but their uptempo style may be just what the Lakers need. The Lakers want to play a finesse style, come down get into the flow and run their triangle offense. If the nuggets want to win a physical brutal old-school New York Knicks style is what they need to imply to win this series. Ok, maybe not that brutal, because we know how soft the referees and the NBA is becoming calling flagrant fouls every other play, but they have to make it more physical than the Lakers are used to. I am sure it won't get as physical as it was back in the 90's. Now that was tough basketball.

I believe the playoffs are about peaking at the right time. I truly don't believe that the Lakers have played their best basketball yet. That may not be a bad thing. If the Lakers have better basketball in front of them that only spells doom for the Nuggets. What if Andrew Bynum starts to wake up? What if Derek Fisher starts to find his shooting touch? Let's not forget Kobe Bryant was only 4-12 in the last game. That's not exactly lighting it up for the Black Mamba. He may be due.

My prediction is that the Lakers will pull out Game 1, but stay tuned because I don't think that the Lakers will get both. This WILL be interesting.

Episode 5 - LET THE GAMES BEGIN

2009-05-18T08:28:00.008-04:00

So much for records. They say the advantage always goes to the home team in a Game 7. I was involved in one Game 7 in my career and it was a 4th quarter collapse by the Portland Trailblazers in 2000 that allowed us, the Los Angeles Lakers, to advance to the NBA Finals. But I will say, I thought the Orlando Magic would pull this one off. The Celtics are a team that had really defied the odds in this post season. Who really gave them a chance without Kevin Garnett? I know I didn't.

And now it gets interesting, as the Orlando Magic are interesting. I covered the Magic during their series with the 76ers and I thought the Magic were soft. Especially at the beginning of that series. I saw a Magic team that was inconsistent, a team that relied too much on the 3 pt shot. I saw a team that couldn't put teams away in the 4th quarter. Yet, they survived.

And now I may be changing the way I think about this team. Here is a team that can kill you with different guys. And when Hedo Turgkolu is playing like he did last night, 25 pts and 12 assists they are very dangerous. Dwight Howard somewhat guranteed that they would win this series. But if I was assistant coach Patrick Ewing I think I would keep quiet from now on. And one more thing on the Magic. I think Rafer Alston may be UNDERRATTED. I think the guy can really play when he plays within himself. Decent shooter, great penetrator and an excellent passer. He gets it done especially in crucial moments and when the series is on the line. Maybe we have all forgotten that this is "Skip To My Lou".

And it is me or did it seem like Paul Pierce just got old over night?

And Van Gundy has to be happy to be able to shed the nickname given to him by Shaq, "The Master of Panic." But hey, I like the guy. He reminds me of somebody's dad coaching some CYO league in Anywhere, USA. Seems like he just threw on some jeans and said "Hey, I'll coach the team, what the hell." I like his straight forward approach. He's like any blue collar guy working anywhere in the country and he says the hell with the tie. I like it. Let's just hope they let him finish things off and don't replace him with a new coach to win the championship like they did with Pat Riley. I didn't like the way they played games with Van Gundy back then. But it seems like he was already part of a game back in the day.

Bring on the big bad Cavaliers. King James is waiting. Not sure if Lebron wanted to go up against Howard but if any man could attack the rim and finish, it is James. The Cavs should be rested and relaxed. They also seem to be having a lot of fun during the playoffs. But I don't think the road is going to be as easy as it has been for the Cavs up to this point. The Magic have defeated the Cavs twice this season and are not in awe. The Orlando Magic's 3 pt shooting could spread the Cavs out and Orlando has a bench that can cause some problems with Pietrus, Courtney Lee and Anthony Johnson all having stepped up at sometime in the playoffs.

And how about the Lakers? Did anybody really expect the Rockets to go into LA and knock off the Lakeshow? I didn't. But I didn't expect the Rockets just to lay down like that and get spanked. At some point you knew the loss of Yao Ming would hurt them. No Mutumbo either to back him up. Landry in the post with Luis Scola is not going to get it done. And I almost died laughing last night as Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and C-Webb roasted Scola on TNT for first putting on his jersey backwards and then having a beer belly underneath the jersey. It was classic stuff. Safe to say if you put your jersey on backwards before the game your team is already down 10-0.

The Nuggets are also interesting for the Lakers. They have a team that can match the Lakers. They have a physical center in Nene. They have a quality point guard in Chauncey Billups and they also have some fiesty guards in Dahntay Jones, a quality defender and J.R. Smith a reliable scorer who can erupt. I haven't even mentioned their star Carmelo Anthony and his body guards Kenyon Martin and Chris "Birdman" Anderson. The Denver Nuggets are for real and they may be the most tattooed team in the league which is also kind of scary.

Let's buckle up. The playoff ride is about to get real bumpy. Let the games begin.

Oh and before I go I got to say this. I am a big fan of Spike Lee. He's been my dude since "Do the Right Thing" in Bed-Stuy Brooklyn changed my view on the world. I loved what he did with the movie "Malcolm X" and "Jungle Fever" was a classic. But I have to say, I wasn't feeling the Kobe documentary over the weekend. I am a real Kobe Bryant fan. The man is responsible for getting me a championship ring. But I have to say, I was bored out of my mind. I sat a watched enough NBA games in my short career in the league from the bench. In no way shape or form was I ready to watch another entire game from start to finish while Kobe broke down every play. Spike you are still the man, but I guess everyone has to strike out sometimes. Hey you still got the Knicks. That's strike two!

Setting the Stage

2009-05-14T14:38:00.006-04:00

The Denver Nuggets are in the Western Conference Finals. I can't even believe that I am saying this. Yeah, we all knew they were a #2 seed in the west but I don't think any of us really thought that they'd be in this position. If you did, hit me back on the comments and let me know. I'll call you a liar, but still let me know.

So we have one half of the scene set in the Western Conference with the Denver Nuggets. Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups have been spectacular. And even though the Nuggets "Eddie Housed" the Dallas Mavericks it was an entertaining series because of all the off the court drama. Funny that Mark Cuban had the nerve to invite the Nuggets' family to watch the game from his suite if the series returned to Dallas!

Not sure if Carmelo Anthony's wife Alani "La La" Vasquez would take you up on that offer Mark. I went to Piscataway High school with La La in New Jersey and she's a sweet girl but not sure if she's a sit in your "suite" girl. And mind you, this is allegedly after Vasquez was racially taunted. Vasquez said "Obviously the playoff games bring out the best and the worst in fans but what happened on Monday night with the racial slurs/threats, verbal attacks on my son and physical attacks to myself by irate fans was unacceptable." She also said in a statement released, "The fans were totally out of control. What the cameras caught was me defending myself and didn't show the abuse that was taking place."

Damn! I used to like the city of Dallas. But don't be messing with my girl Alani "La La" Vasquez. She's from my hometown of Piscataway, NJ and even played JV basketball with my sister. No game at all! But Carmelo's the one in the family with the game. Beats being Sheldon Williams.

Chauncey Billups may be my new favorite player. It's not like this guy is a spring chicken anymore. He's 32 years old but getting it done like a seasoned veteran should. The guy is a winner. I saw on SportsCenter today that he has been in the Conference Finals for 7 straight years now! That's what you call stats, facts. Jay-Z said it best once, "Men lie, woman lie, numbers don't." Billups is putting up numbers in these playoffs. But his past numbers speak volumes and now he is one series away from putting his hometown team in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1985.

But don't get all excited Denver fans, cause the Lakers will be waiting. Don't get mad Houston Fans cause I just dissed and dismissed you. I can hear my brother Jihad now, saying "Are you crazy?" He lives in Houston, but even my loyalty to family can't stop me from stating the obvious. It's over for H-town tonight. I think this guy was from Houston. How did he know??

Besides I'm jumping around like a little kid in a candy store waiting on this Carmelo Anthony vs. Kobe Bryant match up. Should make for a really good series. And not to bring up old stuff but I'm not sure Kobe's really fond of the state of Colorado on a whole. I played with this guy and I know he doesn't forget easily and will use that whole fiasco for motivation.

If you were Lebron James and the Cavaliers who would you wanna play? Hmmm! Let's think. There's Orlando........ Or there's Boston............. I would think Boston. No big guy in the paint and King James could have his way with the Celtics. Orlando I think is a tougher matchup with the 3-point shooting and also Superman in the paint. So I say this to Lebron. Get your green and white pom-poms out tonight if you want to be in the finals.

Well Dwight Howard might just be helping Lebron out. It kills me when guys go to war all year for the coach and then at the end when things start going bad they want to jump ship. Dwight Howards has been one of my favorite players in the last couple of years. He's a fun loving guy and has said all the right things. Now he wants to start coaching. You got to ride or die with your coach. Address those things behind the camera. You don't want to do that to the media. The two have said that they have put it behind them. But I'm not sure if you ever really get over something like that. Well see.

On another note, why can't cats just come clean? Isn't it better to plead guilty rather than do more time in the long run? Why do cats want to lead you on a wild goose chase? It never ends up good. Hey Roger Clemens, we know you did it? We know everyone did it? We don't care anymore. Stop "Eddie Housing" the American public in the face! You won't get in the Hall of Fame. But face the music. You did it. I want to get this O.J. Mayo fiasco over too. O.J.......... Mayo, that is, we know you did it too! You took the money. And you didn't care where it was coming from? University of Southern California, we know you knew he was getting paid. How else would a poor kid form West Virginia have a flat screen TV in his dormitory? And hey, I have a heart, I can forgive. But this guy Rodney Guillory, "Mayo's Advisor" is pushing it. Ok, be a crook if you want, but where do you draw the line???? Using a card linked to a fake "Sickle Cell Anemia Fund?" That is low. That is so far bottom I have to quote the great Rutgers Women's basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer when I once heard her say at practice "That's so low, you have to reach up to touch the bottom."

Keep it real

2009-05-12T09:00:00.007-04:00

Well thank God the Hawks finally waived the white towel. I couldn't stand to watch anymore of their series with the Cavaliers. It wasn't right. It just wasn't playoff style basketball. Getting drug up and down the floor by the Cavs just isn't interesting enough for me to turn away from "Gotti's Way" or possibly me watching re-runs of "Everybody Hates Chris" on my DVR.

The Hawks don't have one player that I would buy a ticket to watch. When your best player is named Joe Johnson you got to think "Maybe we need to reevaluate how we market our team." Nothing against Joe Johnson as a player, I think he is a wonderful talent, but the name needs a little more flair to it. Come on, keep it real, everyone in the NBA knows the best thing about playing the Atlanta Hawks is the extra curricular activity that goes on in the ATL after the game. Which should shame the Hawks even more cause I know that every player on the Cavs was out every night enjoying the "atmosphere" of Atlanta. That should account for 10 pts minimum, like the "South beach factor" in Miami or the "Hollywood factor" in Los Angeles. There's no way you get swept! I'm surprised that the Cavs didn't shave some points to extend the series on purpose for a few more days in one of the NBA players' most favorite cities.

I wish the same thing would've happened in the Denver series. Who are they playing again? Oh yeah the Mavericks. Why delay the inevitable? Sell a few more tickets? Maybe a few more Dirk jerseys? Or maybe give time for Mark Cuban to insult a few more mothers on "Mothers Day." What a jerk? I hope Kenyon Martin doesn't go off on Mark Cuban. Can you imagine these two going at? Would be over quick. And I agree with Kenyon Martin. Family, mothers, kids are all off limit. I don't care how mad you get, you never insult a dude's mother.

I have to give kudos to Dirk for the way he's playing despite tremendous pressure off of the court. To drop 44 points and go 14-25 from the field takes great concentration and it has to be hard after finding out your "fiance" is not who you thought she was. I am sure he was wishing for something better.

And how about Carmelo Anthony? He is really coming of age. With the league full of young stars like Lebron and Chris Paul, it seems as if Anthony was always on the back page. Well he can really catapult himself to the forefront if he can get into the Western Conference Finals and duel it out with Kobe. And if the Rockets win, who better to solidify yourself then two great defenders in Shane Battier and Ron Artest?

So yeah, I was wrong about the Lakers-Rockets series. It may not be a cake walk for the Lakers But let's keep it real, the Rockets still don't have much of a chance. The emotion that they played with was off the charts in Houston but in no way shape or form do I really believe they can keep it up tonight in Los Angeles. Too many distractions, too many celebs and there will be too much Kobe tonight, you can bet on it. And at some point the loss of Yao will sink in. The Rockets are donuts, a hole in the middle without Yao. Kobe get's 30+ tonight.

Orlando really blew one the other day. I found it hilarious that Dwight Howard labeled the assassin "Big Shot Baby Davis." And now the C's are home in Boston and you have to wonder if the Magic can find some magic tonight and withstand a Beantown crowd that is going to be crazy. If the Magic don't make 10 or more 3-point shots tonight they lose. That's my prediction. I have a feeling Ray Allen may be the one making the 3's tonight and Orlando will be going back home down 3-2. But I get that feeling that this one is going seven. No doubt.

And oh yeah, this country is getting softer and softer by the minute. What wussies we are? A fan wants an apology for the Glen Big Baby Davis for bumping his son after the big shot the other day. Please. What a chump you are! Tell your son to man up. Maybe Orlando should bump you out and move you up to the cheap seats. How soft are we gonna get? What is this world coming to? Get real.

PLEASE SOLVE THIS EQUATION FOR X.

2009-05-10T09:23:00.000-04:00

Three things are clear in these NBA playoffs. The Hawks, Mavs and the Rockets are officially DONE! And hey I'm no psychic or some great basketball mind, but I am a historian.

So let's start with the Hawks. Let's mix a little history with a little math. No team has ever come back from 3-0. The equation is something like this:

Instructions - Please solve for X in the following equation.

3-0 = X

Answer: X = Done

Do they deserve to be done? Yes! I feel sorry for Atlanta. What can they do? Lebron James is insane! And now I am starting to feel insane! I am actually thinking he may be better than Michael Jordan. I used to say that anyone who said that was out of their mind, maybe from another land. But this is now my celestial view. (See the definition of celestial at the end of the blog).

If Lebron James was playing baseball, I'd wonder if he was getting his Manny on, or his Alex Rodriguez on, you know what I'm saying? Getting juiced. He's too strong for the game. They should make a rule for James like they did with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar when he was in college. He was so dominant they outlawed the dunk. Wilt Chamberlin was so good they created the 3- second rule. James shouldn't be allowed to shoot in the paint! It's unfair. So maybe I'm insane now. James and I have something common.

I never thought I'd see anyone more confident than Jordan. He seems unfazed by all of this stardom. Seems unmoved by the moment. Seems as if it's almost his right to win multiple championships. Seems as if he just knows it's going to happen. Even if he never won a championship, which I see as almost utterly impossible, I'd still compare him to Jordan. I know that's insane, but so is Lebron! James said, "There's only a few guys in this league that can get into a zone like that and I'm blessed to have the ability to be one of those guys."

Speaking of blessed, Pastor R.A. Vernon of WORD Church in Cleveland said "I think I can say unequivocally as a Pastor, after Jesus, then comes Lebron James."

WORD! But I guess that shows you just how important 47 pts, 12 rebounds and 8 assists are. Falls just a notch below religious beliefs. Just below someone who preached the Word!

So the league stuck a fork in the Dallas Mavericks yesterday. Same equation.

Please solve for X

3-0 = X

Answer: X = Done

This series is over and although we knew they couldn't beat the Denver Nuggets, we shouldn't be saying that it's over until Game 4, but we can OFFICIALLY say it now! Get it! The Dallas Mavericks got straight disrespected yesterday. So many teams, so many players have complained about fouls not being called in the last few seconds, but I don't think I have ever seen a team complain about wanting a foul called on them! It was clear as day that Carmelo Anthony was fouled purposely by Antoine Wright and referee Mark Wunderlich, a veteran official missed it.

And I don't care if the league, comes out and says they messed up. I'm sure that Dallas doesn't care that they've been apologized to. The fact is it will cost them the series. You can't shoot someone in the foot and then say you're sorry.

But I do agree with John Barry on ESPN. You have to wrap the guy up when trying to foul if you're Antoine Wright. You have to go over to the official and tell him that you are going to take a foul so they are aware. And if you're Dirk Nowitzski you have to take two more seconds off the clock before you shoot on the last possession. Plus you have to stop Chauncey Billups from scoring 32 pts on you. So the Mavs had their own shovels and dug their own graves.

And speaking of digging. Dirk Nowitzki doesn't want to hear about anymore gold diggers! How scary is the situation with Dirk and his now ex-girlfriend? And now you have to understand why some professional athletes are so guarded about their personal life. You understand why some athletes don't give out their telephone number, why some don't like to sign autographs. I can go as far to say why some even carry guns. This is a crazy world out there. Athletes, and all people in the public eye have become targets and you have to protect yourself. Don't be upset when you see athletes with body guards or don't be upset when you can't get your favorite athlete to show up and speak at your favorite charity event. You just never know what they're going through or what they have already been through.

But hey, I didn't want to see the Mavs in the Conference finals anyway. They wouldn't stand a chance against the Lakers. Why I am penciling in the Lakers? Because Yao Ming is out with a broken foot. Which means.... Done!

Third straight year in a row that Ming is out with the broken foot. I feel for him. This team can't survive. There's no way how without Yao!!!! Who can stop the Black Mamba from driving the lane? Who's gonna score 30 plus points for the Rockets? Nothing much more to say about this series. Maybe Artest will give us some funny sound, or maybe a few scuffles will break out, but this series will now be as entertaining as that monotone teacher in "Ferris Bueller's Day OFF."

Well not much more to write about today, nothing else exciting in sports. I guess I'm done, just like the Hawks, the Mavs and the Rockets.

Celestial - heavenly, of the sky, outer space, extraterrestrial

RIP to Chuck Daly one of the greatest coaches to ever coach in the NBA.

EPISODE 1 - REALITY TV IN SPORTS

2009-05-08T08:45:00.000-04:00

So it's a shame, but it's an exciting time in sports right now. Why is it a shame that it's exciting you ask? For the same reason that most of us watch these reality shows. It's exciting for stupid reasons. Sometimes I want to throw up cause I hate "For the Love of Ray-J" or "Candy Girls" or some of the old reality shows I watched like "Flavor of Love" etc. You know the drill. But I just can't turn away!!!!

Let's start in basketball. How exciting is the Rockets vs. Lakers series? Yeah it's good cause it's tied 1-1 right now. Yeah, that's great (yawn). But the reality is we are intrigued because of the bad blood. Derek Fisher, a guy who I once was a teammate with, a guy with a pristine image in the league, President of the NBA Player's Association, tries to "Mack Truck" Louis Scola. And let me tell you, Scola's no punk. I played against him over in Italy in 2002 when he was playing for Scavolini Pesaro. Fisher gets one game, which I think is appropriate. I agree with trying to get over screens (I hate guys at the gym who just run into the screen and say "Hey call out the screens." You see the damn screen! Get around it) but what Fish did was crazy! But I loved it! Just a little more tactful next time D-Fish! See ya Game 4.

And how can one not be excited by the Kobe vs. Ron Artest saga. I played against Kobe "Bean" Bryant in a practice a lot in my championship run with the Lake Show. And yes Bean, Black Mamba, whatever you want to call him likes to mix it up sometimes. An elbow here, an elbow there, next thing you know we were pushing and shoving each other in practice. I was a scrub with the Lakers, but no punk. Nine years later I see my man up to his old tricks. But hey you don't mess with Ron Artest right? "Don't you know you hitting Ron Artest?" This is classic stuff! Not sure you want to mess with Artest. I think this is the calm before the storm right here. http://ballhype.com/video/ron_artest_postgame_interview_on_getting_tossed_part_1/

And oh yeah, I still chuckle every time I see Rafer Alston slap Eddie House on his head like a father does a son after he acts up. To quote my wife, "That slap was almost as bad as mushing someone in the face." Doesn't do much damage but it's definitely a disrespect thing. (See the definition of mushing at the end of the blog) But hey, "That's what happens when you start bussin' somebody ass."

http://ballhype.com/video/eddie_house_on_rafer_alston_that_s_what_happens_when/

And that my friends may be the most truthful line ever spoken in a sports interview. So many times I just wanted to slap the shit outta someone for draining shot after shot on me. I love Skip, but that was dumb. He's never been the most level headed player. Saw him many times in the East Orange, NJ summer league lose his cool. Talking a lot of smack in the wrong hood. Did I just say smack?

Lost in all this extra curricular activity is Shane Battier. I still hate him! It's not his fault. Just those nerdy Duke fans. "Who's your daddy? Battier! Who's your daddy? Battier!" That may have been the most annoying chant of all time. I watched Battier yesterday on "Pardon the Interruption", one of my favorite shows on television after "For the Love of Ray J." And Battier said all the "right" things when speaking of stopping Kobe. "I just want to make him work." He also said "I've taken all the emotion out of the game when I'm guarding him." He's right about that! His face look dumbfounded when Kobe dropped 40 on him. He was expressionless. So Shane "Who's your Daddy?" Battier probably won't stop Kobe, but who can? Besides, Kobe doesn't like being anybody's son or little brother, ask Shaq Diesel. But the one thing is that Battier was there on every shot. It was great defense, just better offense by The Black Mamba. Battier really earned my respect even though Kobe dropped the 40 ounce on him. But don't tell me that you didn't want to "Eddie House" him Battier! Don't play that cool stuff with me. Not even once did you think about "Eddie Housing him?" Even after he was defecating all over you!! By the way "Eddie House" is the the new word for slap a chump. If you use "Eddie Housing" that is the present tense.

So you wanna talk about the Cleveland vs. Atlanta series? Why? It's over already! Hawks are banged up and Lebron is toying with cats, swinging his arms, dancing in front of the camera. It's so "Chris Rock" out there. It's a joke! Just have to wonder how the Cavs will respond if they get tested? Everyone else is in a slug fest and the Cavs are just cruising. Lebron said yesterday "I'm having fun." True and I like it. But what happens when the all jokes stop and the audience, like say Boston or Orlando, isn't so friendly anymore? Hmmmmmmmmm.

So another cheater in baseball. Now it's Manny Ramirez. Who cares? He's out 50 games. What do you expect from the sport that has been the biggest fraud maybe of all time? Hey what do you expect from big overweight guys who barely have to stay in shape to play the game?

Guys who get hurt sliding into a base or running to third base too hard and pull a hamstring. Come on man, get the hell outta here! Did you really think they were actually gonna work for it? "Everyone else is doing it." Enough said, can't waste my blog on this. To me 50 games is just an "Eddie House" on the wrist! And I'm out.

Mush - A hard push with an open hand anywhere in the head area. Can be in the face, side of the head or back of the head. A tactic used to embarrass the individual. Less violent than a slap but worse than a push. The tactic is used more frequently in the hood than in the suburbs.